Ezria, Begin Again
by divergent-little-tribute
Summary: Ezra and Aria begin their relationship again, starting on the night Ezra gets shot. I suck at summaries, but please read and review!
1. Chapter 1

**Aria POV:**

Everything started to happen in slow motion as soon as I saw the bullet wound in his side. "Ezra?" I called out as I walked up to him. "It's so beautiful," he whispered, before turning around, revealing the blood. I saw him beginning to fall, and rushed over to catch him and lower him to the ground. "No no!" I screamed, the world around me growing blurry as my mind processed what was happening. The other girls ran over, yelling "Oh my god, oh my god!" all gathering around us. "I'm sorry," I heard him mumble, his eyelids fluttering. "Shh, no, no…" I shushed him, feeling tears fall down my face. His hand reached up to my face, lightly brushing my cheek, his breathing becoming shallower. "No, you stay awake do you hear me?" I yelled, "No don't you dare close your eyes!" I saw his eyelids lower as he lost consciousness, his hand falling from my face. "No please! Ezra no!" I could hear my voice screaming as everything around me began to tilt. I could hear Ali yelling "Somebody call for help!" in the distance, but it seemed as if she were miles away. Choked with tears, I sobbed, "Oh my god Ezra, Ezra! No, no…" as the others began screaming for help, hoping people below would hear us. Suddenly unable to support myself, I collapsed onto his chest, my tears beginning to soak his already blood-soaked shirt. "Ezra, no you have to stay with me, you can't leave me," I whispered, "You are my entire world, you can't leave me all alone… I love you." Everything around me had faded, my vision turning black as I began to lose consciousness, the only thing I could hear was his ever lessening heartbeat.

**Outside POV:**

As the sirens began wailing below, Alison, Hanna, Emily, and Spencer kept hollering over the balcony, hoping the people below would hear them. As they saw the ambulance stop below them, they waved their arms in order to get the attention of the paramedics. "Somebody is injured, he got shot in the side and doesn't have much time left!" Spencer yelled down, relieved as she saw them begin to race up to the building. Suddenly Hanna yelled, "Oh my god, Aria has passed out!" All the girls ran over, worried as they saw her petite body collapsed on top of Ezra's, her cheeks streaked with black tears, completely unconscious. The paramedics finally arrived on the top of the building, running over to the group. Two of them ushered Alison, Hanna, Emily, and Spencer over to the side, assuring them everything would be alright, as the other four crowded around Aria and Ezra. They gently laid Aria down beside Ezra before wrapping his torso with a medical bandage, attempting to stop the blood flow. One picked Aria up and laid her over his shoulder as the other three carefully picked Ezra up, making their way to the ladder. Once down, the other paramedics guided the four girls down and into the police car, refraining from asking too many questions based on the obvious state of shock they were all in. Both Aria and Ezra were placed into the ambulance before they came over to ask the girls to briefly explain what happened. "We were being chased by a stalker, and as Ezra saw him take out a gun, he ran in front of it to take the bullet for us." Emily began. "He escaped over the ledge, and Aria saw that Ezra had been shot. After that he lost consciousness, and soon after Aria passed out on top of him." The ambulance was already driving away as the four girls got into the police car, being told they would be taken immediately to the hospital where they could contact their parents. Back in the ambulance, the paramedics were doing everything they could to keep Ezra alive, and making sure Aria was going to be okay.


	2. Chapter 2

**Aria POV:**

I awoke to a bustle, the sound of sirens wailing all around me. I sat up suddenly, realizing I was in an ambulance. "She's awake!" I heard a paramedic next to me yell, and I looked around me to see Ezra behind me, four paramedics surrounding him and trying to keep him alive. "Miss, could you tell me your name and relation to that man over there?" a paramedic gently asked me, kneeling beside me. "Um, my name is Aria Montgomery, his name is Ezra Fitz. We're… um… I'm his girlfriend…" I managed to get out before I began to cry again, trying to hold my sobs back. "Shh shh, it's going to be okay. We should be at the hospital in two minutes. Your friends will arrive soon, and you can contact your parents, okay?" She said, rubbing my back and trying to calm me. "O-okay." I stuttered, taking deep breaths in an attempt to stop crying. Two minutes later we pulled into the hospital, where Ezra was rushed inside on a stretcher. The paramedic who was comforting me grasped my hand and led me to the reception area, sitting me down and telling me to wait while she got me a glass of water. My head was spinning as I took in the bright lights and antiseptic smell, trying to keep myself oriented. Alison, Hanna, Spencer, and Emily suddenly burst in, running over to me. "Aria are you okay?!" Spencer whispered, tears stained on her cheeks. "Where is he?" Alison asked me quietly, as if unsure if she should talk to me. At that moment a nurse walked over and handed me a glass of water. "I just thought you should know that Ezra Fitz is currently in surgery, we will let you know of his progress as soon as we can," she stated before walking away. "Hey, that's a good thing, it means he's still… you know…" Hanna said while sitting down next to me, giving my arm a little squeeze. "Yeah, Aria, he is going to be fine, you'll see," Emily smiled optimistically. Spencer walked over to the reception desk and asked if she could use a phone, thanking the man as he allowed her behind the counter. I laid my head on Hanna's shoulder, feeling my eyelids growing heavy. Alison was curled up next to Emily, whose arm draped around her body, both of them already asleep when Spencer walked over. She raised her eyebrows at them, giving us a pointed look before informing us that all our parents would be here in a few hours. She settled down into the chair on the other side of me, resting her head on my shoulder as Hanna said, "Let's all get some sleep, we're gonna need it…" As I drifted off to sleep the only thing I could focus on was Ezra's last words, 'I'm sorry'. He had literally taken the bullet for me, made the ultimate sacrifice. Now all I could hope for was that he would survive it…


	3. Chapter 3

**Aria POV:**

I awoke suddenly, jolting upright in a panicked state before realizing where I was. The nurse was lightly shaking my arm, looking concerned at my sudden outburst. "Miss, I was told to inform you that Ezra Fitz is out of surgery." "How did it go, is he going to be alright?" I asked in a hushed tone, afraid of the answer. "Yes, everything went really well. He's really lucky, he should be fine to go home in a few days. Once he regained consciousness he kept saying Aria, asking if she was alright and begging to see her… are you Aria?" "Yes," I whispered, tears forming behind my eyes. He had been asking for me. I let that sink in before asking my next question. "Can I see him?" "Well, technically I'm not supposed to let non-family members in to see him, but I think I can make an exception, considering the only words he has said have been directed towards you. Follow me, we can go now." I carefully maneuvered away from Spencer and Hanna, careful not to wake them, before hurriedly following the nurse down the hallway. "He's right through there," she said, motioning to a door on our left. "He may not be awake, and he's going to look very pale, but he's okay," she warned me before opening the door and allowing me to walk in. As soon as she shut the door I allowed myself to take a good look at him. He was still deathly pale from all the blood loss, his breathing still a bit shallow. He wasn't wearing a shirt, his abdomen wrapped in a medical bandage, laying on top of the bed with a clean pair of jeans on. His hair was ruffled, his lips pressed in a thin line as he slept, somehow able to look peaceful despite what he had just gone through. I could feel the tears making a descent down my face, leaving salty tracks down my cheeks. I walked over to him, sitting in the chair next to his bed, and placed my hand on top of his, stroking it lightly. "Oh Ezra, what have you done to yourself?" I whispered, my voice cracking with emotion. "I thought… when I saw you like that… I was afraid you had left me…" Sobs began to rack my body as I tried to contain them, not wanting to wake him. I shut my eyes, taking deep breaths, when suddenly I felt his hand reaching up to my cheek to brush away my tears. "Shh, shh, shh, I'm right here with you. It's all okay," he murmured, stroking my cheek. My eyes shot open to meet his striking blue ones, still so full of life and love. He pulled me in for a hug, holding me to him as tight as he could. "Don't ever scare me like that again!" I choked into his chest. I pulled away from him slightly to look at him. "I'm still mad at you," I whispered. "I know-""But that doesn't mean I don't love you. Because I do… I love you Ezra, and nothing could ever change that." "I love you too Aria," he whispered, brushing the hair from my face. "I'm really, really sorry. I know I lied to you about a lot of things, but I never, not once, lied about the how I feel about you." I leaned in, pressing my lips to his, as I mumbled "I'm just really glad you're awake." He kissed me gently, pulling me onto the bed beside him. He pulled away after a little bit, looking me in the eye. "Aria, I need to explain what happened-""Yes, you do, but not right now, okay? Right now, all I care about is that you are here with me, alive," I said, the last word barely audible. He pulled me in for another kiss, and I felt that spark I always feel when we touch. His hand gently stroked my neck, as the other moved to my waist, bringing me in closer so our bodies weren't separated. I let my hands lose themselves in his hair, tangling in his slight curls. We stayed like that for a few minutes before breaking apart to take a breath. We rested our foreheads against each other's, breathing in our familiar scents. "I've really missed you," he murmured, before giving me a quick kiss on my nose. I giggled a little before replying, "I've missed you too. I've felt empty without you." I brought my lips back up to his, kissing him gently as I felt his tongue on my bottom lip. I opened my mouth slightly as our tongues met, the kiss becoming more passionate as I pulled him down closer towards me.

**Spencer POV:**

As I groggily blinked sleep from my eyes, the first thing I noticed was the absence of warmth on my left side. Quickly shaking Hanna awake, I asked, "Where is Aria?" She looked around, obviously confused before remembering the previous night. I hurried over to the reception desk, worry clouding my voice as I asked, "Have you seen our friend Aria? She has long brown hair, she's around 5'2"-""Oh yes Aria, she went back to see Ezra Fitz about 20 minutes ago." "Oh okay, thank you!" I walked over to the three girls, informing a worried looking Hanna. Deciding we should all talk about how to deal with our parents, I walked over to wake Alison and Emily. Alison's head was buried in Emily chest, her arms brought into a curling position. Emily's arms were wrapped around Alison, her face buried in her hair. I took a moment to process that they had fallen asleep like that, deciding now was not the time to have a serious conversation with Emily about her love life. Shaking them awake, I motioned them over to Hanna. "We need to have a plan of action, because our parents aren't exactly expecting to see Alison DiLaurentis, back from the dead." I started, acutely aware that Emily and Alison's hands were clasped tightly together. "Where is Aria?" Emily mumbled, clearly not fully awake. "She's back with Fitz," Hanna responded, smiling slightly before giving Alison a pointed look. "So anyways, how should we explain what happened tonight?" I continued, growing more agitated by the minute. "I mean, should we tell them exactly what happened, or should we leave parts out? And what are we going to do about Ali?" "Well," Alison stated, "I guess we have to tell them about A shooting at us, because we can't exactly hide Ezra's bullet wound. And I'm not leaving right now, so they are going to see me. For now we should just tell them the basics before getting back to Rosewood, where we can come up with a better plan." "Okay, sounds good enough for me," Hanna responded, before walking over to the desk. "Could we go see Ezra Fitz?" "Hm, well since you aren't family, I can't allow you into his room, but I suppose you could wait in the hall for your friend, does that sound okay?" "Yes, thank you," Hanna smiled. The nurse led us down the same hallway Aria had walked earlier, stopping outside Ezra's door. "You will have to stay out here, okay?" the nurse said before walking off. We walked over to the window, crowding around as we stared into the dark room in front of us. The first thing I registered amongst the darkness was the fact that there were two bodies on the bed. Aria was curled up next to Ezra, her hands curled in and her face buried into his chest. His arms were wrapped around her, pulling her in close to him, his face buried in her hair. Their legs were intertwined, and they were clearly fast asleep, holding onto each other as if it may be their last day, which when I thought about it, it almost was. Alison looked slightly uncomfortable, Emily and Hanna were smiling slightly. Even though I know how much pain Ezra had caused her, I also knew he loved her, and that she loved him. They were lost without each other, making up each other's worlds. Suddenly I heard voices in the lobby, and could pick out the sound of my mother's voice. Deciding we should go get the confrontation over with, I motioned to the girls that we should walk back. As soon as I stepped into the lobby, all the parents visibly relaxed, well that is until they saw Alison, hiding slightly behind Emily, their hands still clasped tight. I could see the look of horror, fear, and confusion cross over all their faces, before my mother uttered what everyone was thinking. "Alison?!"


	4. Chapter 4

**Alison POV:**

I nervously clutched Emily's hand while we walked down the hallway, preparing to be confronted by the girls' parents. I am not sure how I feel about Emily, but I know she makes me a better person, and that when I'm with her, I feel safe and happy. She gives my hand a little squeeze, sending chills up my spine, before whispering, "It's going to be okay, just keep your cool." "Thanks Em," I smile, before we round the corner. As soon as their eyes land on me, I can see their pupils dilate in sheer confusion, shifting to anger, fear, and concern as they process the fact that I am alive, standing before them. "Alison?!" I can hear Spencer's mom whisper, her voice harsh yet soft. I let go of Emily's hand, walking forward so I am in front of the other girls. "Hey." I look from one face to each other, registering who seems to be most to least happy to see me. Byron looks as if he has just seen satan rise from the ground, while Ashley only looks partially surprised. "But you… we saw you… your funeral… how…" Ella managed to stutter, seemingly lacking the ability to form a coherent thought. "It's a really, really long story," I began slowly, "but we don't have time to catch up right now. The important thing right now is-""Aria… where is aria?" Ella interrupts, her voice filled with concern. "What happened to Aria?!" Ella's voice was beginning to rise, fear choking her voice. "Aria is okay, more or less, but-" Spencer began before Byron interrupted, "Where is she?" "I was getting to that, but first-" "WHERE IS ARIA?!" Byron began to shout, as Ella was agitatedly pacing back and forth. "Will everyone, just CALM DOWN AND SHUT UP?!" Hanna screamed, effectively shushing the chatter, her mother giving her a pointed. "Thank you. Now, Aria is back in a hospital room with Ezra, who almost just died saving our lives last night." Hanna bluntly stated, having had enough will all the beating around the bush. "What does Ezra Fitz have to do with anything?" Byron questioned, his voice steely and cold. "Very basically," I began, "There is someone out there who wants me dead. When the girls found me last night, so did that person. He had a gun, and was shooting at us. We escaped to the top of a building, but then we were trapped and knew they were right behind us. Ezra came out onto the roof right as they did, and when he saw them pointing a gun at us he attacked them, taking the bullet and saving our lives. Unfortunately the stalker escaped, jumping onto the ledge of another building. We do not yet know why Ezra was there, but if he weren't, none of us would be standing here right now." I met everyone's gaze as they let that sink in, refusing to crack in front of everyone. I so badly wanted to go run and hide, allow myself to succumb to my emotions, but I had to stay strong in front of everyone, I couldn't let them see me cry. "I think we all need to sit down and have a serious discussion of what to do from here," Veronica stated quietly, before motioning for all of us to sit down. "Where is Aria?" Ella asked again, "She needs to be here for this." Spencer motioned for her to follow her down the hallway, as I walked back over to Emily and grabbed her hand, relieved when she didn't pull away. I looked up to see Hanna giving me a warning look, and I knew immediately what she was conveying: _Just because you are back from the dead does not give you permission to shatter my best friend's heart. Again. _

**Aria POV:**

I could hear my name being called, but it seemed so far away, and I allowed myself to drift back to sleep before I felt someone shaking my arm. "What, what," I mumbled, momentarily forgetting where I was before realizing it was my mom's voice that had been calling me. I shot upright, blinking in the early morning light as I saw my mother leaning over me, Spencer standing in the doorway. I registered a presence beside me, and then it hit me: A, Ezra getting shot, the ambulance, the hospital… a small smile spread across my lips as I recalled our exchange, before I snapped back to the present. "Aria, we all need to have a discussion, your dad, Veronica, Peter, Ashley, and Pam are all here too," she stated, urgency thick in her voice. "Um, okay I'll be there in a second, just let me tell Ezra where I'm going so he doesn't worry." I could see her hesitation before Spencer stepped in, saying, "I'll walk her to the lobby in five minutes, go tell them we are coming." My mom made her way to the door, taking a quick glance back at Ezra, her face showing an emotion I couldn't quite distinguish. I turned back around to give Ezra a small kiss on his lips, stroking his cheek as I saw his eyelids flutter open. "Mm… what are you doing?" he murmured before giving me a kiss, attempting to pull me back down next to him. "Shh, you can go back to sleep, but I have to go take care of something for a little while, but I'll be right back." "Is everything okay?" "Yeah, except all our parents are here… and Alison…" "Oh," he whispered, clearly understanding the situation. "I'll be back soon okay? Get some rest, I love you," I whispered before sliding off the bed. His hand caught mine, rubbing it lightly before whispering back, "I love you too." I walked to the doorway, realizing Spencer was watching our whole exchange, a smirk on the corners of her mouth. I gave her a warning look before we proceeded to the lobby. I took a deep breath before rounding the corner, mentally putting up my walls, preparing for the interrogation. _Breathe in, breathe out. _I took one step, then another, then another before I was met with the piercing gazes of my friends, then their parents, and lastly my dad.


	5. Chapter 5

**~Firstly, I would just like to thank the people who leave reviews, they are so sweet and very much appreciated :) Also, I will try to update this story as often as I can, but I have EOCT's, finals, and AP exams coming up, so please bear with me! Now without further ado…~**

**Alison POV:**

I could tell from the moment Aria walked into the room that she had been crying. Her eyes were slightly pink, her bottom lip quivering, as she fiddled with her fingers. I felt a small twinge in my gut as I saw the hollowed look in her eyes, as if she had lost the closest thing to her. My heartbeat picked up as she neared us, standing next to Spencer as we faced the firing squad. I clenched my fists, attempting to calm myself as I prepared to answer the questions that were going to be hurtled any second now. _Keep calm Alison, you can do this. Deep breaths, in, out, in… _The first question was directed from Peter Hastings, the wavering of fear evident in his voice. "Why and how did you pretend to disappear?" I felt all eyes boring into me as I took a deep breath, gathering my nerves before replying. "Why? I was being stalked and threatened by a masked figure, and they threatened my life the night I disappeared. I had received a text, one of many, stating _Bitch can't see you, but I do. Tonight's the night I kill you. __I decided right then that I needed to figure out who wasn't A, so I used little secrets I had picked up to rule people out. As you know, the girls and I were all at your barn that night, and I managed to drug them so they fell asleep." I read everyone's face like a book, from the incredulous expressions of Pam to the murderous glare of Veronica. Taking a moment to compose myself, I continued. "Later that night, while I was walking home, somebody hit me in the back of the head, knocking me unconsciousness. I awoke later only to have my mom… she was…" I took a deep breath, shutting my eyes before finishing. "I awoke to see my mother burying me alive," I whispered, aware of the sharp intakes of breath coming from our audience. "I kept trying to tell her I was alive, but she didn't understand," I choked, tears streaming down my face now. "Mrs. Grunwald managed to find me and pull me out before I… ran out of oxygen, and she drove me to the hospital. But I was scared, so I ran to the only person I was sure would keep my secret. I ran to Mona. She helped fix me up, and convinced me to leave town. I was unaware of her intentions, I didn't know who she was… she tricked me." I finished, opening my eyes to meet the incredulous stares piercing through my skull, as if unsure to believe me or not. Spencer picked it up from there, explaining, "This person, A, has been blackmailing Aria, Emily, Hanna, and me ever since. Tonight, when we found Ali, so did A. They had a gun, and started shooting at us. We ran to the fire escape, but then we were trapped. To our surprise, Ezra came out right before A did, obviously confused as to what was going on. Before we had time to question him, A was there, pointing a gun at us…" she stopped, becoming lost in the events of last night. "Ezra stepped in front of A, shielding us from the gun," Aria whispered, her voice shaking. "He wrestled A to the ground, kicking the gun away before A could grab it again. A escaped over the balcony before we could do anything, and that's when I walked over to Ezra. He… he um…" she took a deep breath, her fists clenched by her sides as she attempted to stop the tears from flowing. "He had been shot in his side, and collapsed to the ground. He was unconsciousness in a few minutes, and I blacked out right after he did," she finished, her voice barely audible as she recounted the night that almost took him from her. "That's when the paramedics arrived," Emily said, filling in for Aria. "They carried Ezra and Aria to the ambulance, and we were escorted here in a police car. Aria was waiting in the lobby, and we feel asleep shortly after Spencer called you." I could see questions bubbling on all their lips, but Veronica Hastings beat them to it. "Who is A?" __The million dollar question __I thought. "We don't know," I whispered, before meeting her eyes. "I thought I knew, but I was wrong. I don't know who A is, but Ezra might. He's been doing research, trying to find me, and A. Before he got shot, he said he knew who A was. Either he was bluffing, making an attempt to startle them so he could grab the gun, or A shot him before he could tell us." I saw Byron's face harden as he steely said, "Well he's right here, let's go ask him," before beginning to get up. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Aria's panicked face, curious as to why before I realized Byron and Ezra's relationship must be strained at the best of times, what with the circumstances. "Byron, no, not now. The man just took a bullet and still looks pale as a ghost," Ella said sternly, giving him a withering glare enough to make him drop her gaze and sit back down. After a moment of awkward silence, Ashley asked, "Well, what now?" The girls and I looked at each other before Hanna piped up, "Now we have to get Alison back to Rosewood safely so we can figure out what the hell has been going on. Somebody will need to stay here with Ezra for a couple days, and by somebody I mean Aria," she said, her face stern as she met Byron and Ella's gazes. Before they could say anything, Spencer jumped in, "Aria and I both will stay here with Ezra, while the rest of you hide Alison in Rosewood until we get there. Ezra may have some information that can help us, but until then we have to lie low. Up until now, we have had to deal with A on our own, but with all your help…" "With your help, we actually stand a chance," Emily finished. I watched their expressions intently, trying to figure out what they would decide. They asked us if they could talk for a moment, ushering us away as they all shared similar looks. After five minutes stretched into fifteen, finally Ella stood up to speak, clearly the calmest of them all. "We have agreed that Spencer and Aria will stay here and drive Ezra back in a couple days' time, while Hanna, Emily, and Alison will all stay with the Hastings. None of you are going to school, or for that matter much anywhere else, until we figure out more about this A person. The police will be questioning all of you, that is inevitable, but Peter and Veronica will take care of them as best they can." "What about my mom?" I asked, acutely aware they seemed to be avoiding the topic. Eyeing each other nervously, Ashley spoke up, "Your mother disappeared last night, there hasn't been any sign of her since she found out that you were still alive." My stomach flipped, my mind coming up with all the worst cast possible scenarios, but I forced myself to stay calm. "O-okay," I stuttered, "Well I'm sure she is just… shocked… you know… she's alright…" I heard my voice cracking as I let my emotions begin to override my self-control. I felt Emily's hand slip into mine, lightly rubbing my thumb as Hanna asked, "When do we leave?" "Right now," Peter stood up, "I'm going to get the car started." I went over to hug Aria and Spencer, Emily and Hanna following suit, before the three of us followed Peter while Ashley and Pam trailed behind. I heard Ella say she needed to use the bathroom, telling Byron, Ashley, and Veronica she would be out in a few minutes. The remaining three parents said goodbye to Aria and Spencer, warning them to stay safe, before going to wait in the other car for Ella. I felt the cool breeze hit my face as I walked from the hospital building, Emily's hand clutched tightly in mine, a small smile forming on my lips. __Even after all this time__ I thought, squeezing Emily's hand as we climbed into the car. _

_**~Just wanted to let y'all know the next chapter will be Ezria centered, sorry this one was lacking in that department; I wanted to fill in the story a bit. Planning on posting one more chapter tonight.~**_


	6. Chapter 6

**Ezra POV:**

I was pulled from my thoughts as I saw a woman approaching me, someone whom I hadn't expected. "Ella?" I questioned, my voice still raw. "Ezra…" she started, pausing to collect her thoughts. "I don't know what has been happening between you and Aria since I've been gone, but I do know that you completely shattered her heart." I lowered my gaze, my heart sinking in my chest as I was reminded what I had done to the woman I love. "But," she continued, "I also know that you love her, and that she loves you. I wanted to thank you, Ezra, for what you did. I will refrain from interrogating you until we are all together in Rosewood, but I felt I needed to tell you that we all appreciate what you did." "It… anyone else would have done the same," I stated quietly, my eyes still downcast. "No, that is not true. Not anyone would have done that, not anyone would have risked their life. People talk about taking a bullet for each other, but few get to actually prove themselves, much less live to tell the tale. Don't undermine what you did," Ella said quietly, before turning to leave. "Ella wait, I just need you to know… I love Aria, more than anything in my life. She is my entire world, and I will always protect her, no matter what terms we are on," I said, meeting her eyes. "I regret what happened, more than I thought possible, but I will do everything I can do to fix it." She gave me a small smile, not quite understanding what I was talking about, but receiving the message all the same. She turned and walked out, leaving me alone to ponder my thoughts.

**Aria POV:**

I saw my mother walking back into the lobby, a faint smile etched onto her face. "You didn't go to the bathroom, did you," I whispered, already knowing the answer. "No, I didn't. I love you sweetheart, and I want you to take care of yourself, okay?" She pulled me into a hug as I replied into her shoulder, "Okay, I will. I love you too mom, I'll see you in a few days." She walked over to Spencer, giving her a small smile before whispering, "Take care of her," Spencer giving a small nod before waving goodbye. "Hey," I said, walking over to Spencer as she pulled me in for a hug. "Hey," she whispered back, pulling away before asking seriously, "Are you okay?" "No, but I will be." "Well, we don't have a change of clothes or any food, so will you be okay if I go pick up some supplies? There's a few shops about four blocks away, I can be back in two hours." "Okay Spence, but be careful," I replied, my eyes relaying what I couldn't say aloud. _I almost just lost Ezra, I can't go through that again._ "Hey, I will be. I'll pick you up some clothes and toiletries, maybe grab us some food if I find something good. I will see you in a couple hours, alright?" "Alright," I whisper, before waving goodbye as she walked through the front doors. Without realizing it, I found myself walking down the hallway to Ezra's room, stopping before going in. _We need to talk about everything before things can start again _I thought, taking a deep breath as I stepped into his room.

**Ezra POV:**

"Hey," I said as I saw Aria walk in, noticing her hesitation before entering. "What's wrong?" She walks slowly over as I sit up, making room for her to sit next to me if she wants to. To my disappointment, she glances at the space next to me before choosing to stand in front of me, fiddling with her ring. "Ezra…" she begins, her voice cracking, "Ezra I meant what I said last night, about still being mad at you," she whispered softly. "What you did… lying to me for all that time… it's going to take a long time for us to..." she stuttered, unsure of her word choice. "Aria?" I whispered, reaching out to hold her hand. To my relief, she didn't pull away, so I continued, "Aria, I know what I did, and I will regret it for the rest of my life. I understand that we won't be able to go right back to how it was, I understand that it will take a long time for you to forgive me. But I don't care how long it takes, because I love you Aria, I love you more than anything else, and all I ask is for another chance to prove that to you," I whisper, a tear falling onto my cheek. "I love you too Ezra," she whispered, rubbing my hand before dropping it. It takes me by surprise, my heart sinking as I fear she will leave, but she comes over to sit by me, resting her head on my chest. I bring my arms around her, placing a kiss on her forehead before asking, "Is now a good time to explain?" She pulled away slightly so she could look into my eyes, nodding and curling her legs underneath her into a more comfortable position. I shift slightly, resting against the back of the bed as Aria snuggles up next to me, her head resting over my heart, her eyes closed as she says, "I'm ready to hear it." I take a deep breath before beginning. "I was in a college bar reading a book when I met Alison. She came over and we started talking about the book, and she seemed to be interested in all the things I was. We went on a few dates, and I enjoyed my time with her, but we didn't quite click. When I found out about her age I drove to her house and confronted her about it, it was the night she disappeared. She admitted to lying, and I remember the last thing she said was to write a book about her. When I read the papers and saw she had disappeared, I decided to do just that, and I took on the task of writing a true crime book. I knew I would need an inside source, someone who knew her well, so I…" my voice cracked, and I had to take a moment to compose myself before continuing, my voice quiet, "so I decided I could date one of her friends. When you walked into that bar, I knew who you were, and I wanted to be that guy who would do anything for the story, do anything to get the information, so I talked to you and carried things farther than I usually would. What surprised me so much is the fact that we connected instantly, that we liked the same things. I fell in love with you after that first night in the bar Aria, I knew that you were the one, but I tried to convince myself that it was only for the book. It killed me hiding it from you, and eventually I stopped writing the book altogether. I hadn't touched the book, or even thought about it for that matter, until we broke up after Malcolm and Maggie. I had figured out that there was another A, and I realized the information I found could help me find out who they were. I thought that if I found A, we would have another chance." I felt tears beginning to roll down my face as I continued. "So I began researching again, trying to put together all the pieces. Somewhere along the way, I figured out that Alison was alive, and I managed to find out more clues about A due to it… that room in Ravenswood was mine, I was piecing together all my clues there in hopes that Alison would lead me to A. Last night, I had been tracking A, intending to follow them and confront them. I didn't expect you girls to be up there, I had no idea that A was chasing you. I-I know that I lied about a lot, but I never, not once, lied about how I feel about you," I finished, aware that my face was soaked with tears, my shirt damp from Aria's. "E-Ezra?" she sniffled, and as I looked down I could feel my heart breaking as I saw her crying, her eyes filled with unshed tears, her face shining with bright, her eyes revealing betrayal and sheer brokenness. "Y-You said you knew who A was, on the fire escape… do you really know?" "I don't know who the head A is, but I know between two people who was up there," I stated slowly. "On the fire escape, that person was either Jason or Wren." Her hands clenched my shirt and she began shaking, shutting her eyes tight as she took deep breaths. "A-Are you sure?" she whispered, her voice shaking so badly I could barely understand her. "I am not 100% sure Aria, I never am, but I am pretty sure." I tightened my arms around her, letting her cry into my chest. "Shh shh, you're okay, you're okay," I mumbled into her hair, rubbing her arm lovingly. She pulled back to look at me, saying "Thank you for telling me all that Ezra. I know it wasn't easy for you, it certainly wasn't easy for me… but I needed to hear it." She curled up tighter against me, burying her nose into my chest as I planted kisses from her collarbone up her neck, her ear, then her forehead, closing my eyes and resting my chin in her hair. "It's going to take time Ezra, for us to get back to the way we were, but I want to try, if you still do," she mumbled into my shirt. I pulled her away slightly, looking her in the eyes before whispering, "I love you Aria, and I will do anything in the world to make sure I never lose you again." She leaned in, placing her lips on mine in a gentle kiss, as we tasted the salt from our tears. We savored the kiss, keeping our lips against each other's, afraid to pull away. When we finally needed oxygen, we broke the kiss, her nose resting next to mine before I tilted my head to catch her in another kiss. I tightened my embrace around her as she pulled my head in closer, both of us enjoying the warmth of each other. One of her hands dropped down to fiddle with the shirt I had recently put on, allowing her fingers to dance lightly over the exposed skin. I mimicked her, keeping one arm wrapped around her back as I allowed the other to fall to her waist, my fingers brushing over her skin. I could tell by the way she reacted that she felt the same sparks I did as we touched, spreading outwards like fireworks under our skin, engulfing our entire bodies. After a time we broke apart, resting our foreheads together as we snuggled under the covers, our legs becoming entangled while we lay next to each other, both just grateful to be here in this moment, together. I could tell we were both exhausted, neither of us getting sleep, plagued by nightmares of the 'what if's' both day and night. She rested her head back on me, and I stared into her eyes, giving her a long kiss before she rested comfortably on my chest, her breathing becoming steady as she fell asleep. "I love you Aria," I whispered before following suit, resting my nose in her hair as I pulled her closer, falling asleep almost immediately. "I love you too" I heard her mumble as I fell asleep, and I smile into her hair, kissing her head. As I shut my eyes the world around me disappeared, the only important thing was her. I fell asleep to the beating of her heart, soothed by the smell of her shampoo, warmed by her body curled up next to mine.


	7. Chapter 7

**~I've had a request to include the whole Riley incident from Ezra's pov, that will be in this chapter :) if anyone else has any requests, just leave them in a review and I will take a look!~**

**Spencer POV:**

I walked into the hospital carrying bags with a change of clothes, hairbrush, and toothbrush for Aria, Ezra, and I, along with some food I picked up at a local café. Aria wasn't in the lobby, so I walked back to Ezra's room, assuming she was with him. My theory proving correct, I stood for a moment in the doorway to grin at them curled up together. Aria's head rested on Ezra's chest, their fingers entwined, his lips on her forehead, their legs hidden by the blankets. It was the first time for a while that I had seen Aria look so peaceful, as if all her worries had disappeared. She stirred in her sleep, opening her eyes to meet mine. "Oh hey Spence, what did you get in town?" she slurred, yawning as she blinked sleep from her eyes. I walked over, handing her the bag with her things in it, placing a bag of food for her and Ezra on the small bedside table. "I picked you and Ezra up some clothes, a toothbrush, stuff like that, and then I stopped by a local café, there's muffins, croissants, and coffee in there," I said, gesturing to the food. I noticed her beginning to get up, but stopped her saying, "No, go back to sleep, you need it." "But what about you?" she replied, concerned about my wellbeing. "Hm… could I crash in that chair over there?" I pointed to the comfortable looking chair by the window, looking back as Aria nodded. "Just… keep the PDA to a minimum, alright?" I smiled, only half joking. "We'll see," she chuckled, before lying back down on Ezra, closing her eyes as she snuggled her nose into his chest. Smiling, I walked over and situated myself in the chair, appreciative of the pillow and footrest. I closed my eyes and allowed sleep to engulf me, my body exhausted, my mind thankful to finally get a break.

**Hanna POV:**

The car ride home was beyond awkward, what with Alison and Emily not being able to keep their hands off each other from our parents' failed attempts to start a conversation. I understood the fact that Emily missed Alison, but I wasn't sure if she knew what she was getting herself back into. Alison seemed different, but that didn't mean I trusted her, or necessarily was glad that she was back. Already from the way she had treated Spencer the other night, I could tell she still viewed herself as queen bee, still convinced she could push us all around. I glanced into the very back of the van to see them asleep, Alison leaning on Emily, their hands clasped. _What about Paige_ I wondered, annoyed that Alison still had such an effect over Emily. _Don't you get that she is only going to hurt you again? _I mentally asked Emily, questioning for the thousandth time as to why I had agreed to sit next to my mom and give the two of them the back. _I'll watch out for you Em, I promise. _

**Aria POV:**

I awoke a few hours later, sitting up to look at the clock, surprised to see it was already 6:30 PM. I looked over at Spencer, to see her sprawled over the chair, sleeping contently. Suddenly I felt hands on my waist, gently pulling me back down. I giggled a little before leaning back into his chest, as his hands made their way to the front of my stomach, under my shirt and tickling my bare skin. "S-stop E-Ezra, that t-tickles," I whispered between laughs, trying my best not to wake Spencer. "Oh, it does, does it?" he whispered into my hear, before proceeding to leave small kisses up and down my neck, his lips light and warm, his breath tickling me. "I mean," he said between kisses, "I can stop, if you want me to…" I responded by quickly turning myself over, so that I was laying on top of him, before pressing my lips to his in a heated kiss. His hands ventured up my back under my shirt, as mine became tangled in his hair, pulling at his slight curls. His tongue moved in between my lips, meeting mine as I opened my mouth. My right hand traveled down his side, pulling up his shirt as I reached his waist, allowing my fingers to roam over his body. He pulled my down farther, deepening the kiss as my fingers traced patterns on his hip. I had missed this, missed us being together, feeling the warmth of our bodies, tasting each other's mouths. I sighed into the kiss, drawing it out longer before we pulled away. I kept my eyes closed, content to feel his breathing on my neck, before I tilted my head back up to meet his lips again. Before the kiss became and more heated though, we heard a small cough coming from the window. _Oh shit! _I thought, suddenly realizing Spencer was still in the room with us. "Well you two look… cozy," she smirked, clearly enjoying the embarrassed looks on both our faces. "I," she said, standing up and grabbing the bag full of food and coffees, "am going to go warm these up for dinner. I will be back in five minutes, try not to do anything… extraordinarily stupid," she finished with a smirk before walking out of the room, her laugh echoing down the hallway. I looked at Ezra before bursting out laughing, both of us laughing until our sides hurt. I got up to help Spencer with the food as she walked back in, dragging the chair closer to the bed so that we could all use the table. I sat on top of Ezra's legs as Spencer settled back down into the chair, all quiet while we enjoyed the warmth spreading throughout our bodies as we ate, content as the chocolate sweetened our mouths. "Wow, this is amazing," Ezra said between bites, "where did you get it?" "Oh, I went into town earlier today to pick us up some clothes and toiletries. I was walking back when I passed this cute little café and decided to grab some things to go," Spencer replied, both of them making an attempt to clear the awkwardness of our situation. "Well," Spencer said, getting up after she finished, "I am going to go find a shower we can use, and I should be back within an hour." She picked up her bag and walked out, understanding we still had things to talk about. I sighed, knowing I still had to tell Ezra about my… _activities _when I was in Syracuse.

**Ezra POV:**

As Spencer walked out, I glanced at Aria, worried something was wrong. She was fidgeting with her ring again, her eyes downcast. "Ar, what's wrong?" I asked softly, reaching out to touch her hand. She looked up at me, tears hiding behind those beautiful brown eyes of hers, her face flushed as if she were embarrassed. "I-There's something I haven't told you," she whispered, looking down once again. I crawled out from under the blankets, moving to sit next to her, and brushed her chin, asking her to look up at me. "Hey, whatever it is, you can tell me," I soothed, rubbing her wrist with my thumb. She took a deep breath before beginning, squeezing my hand slightly. "So after I found out about the book on the ski lift, when I went home I left town. I headed up to Syracuse, hoping to get away from Rosewood, and well… away from you," she whispered. "I wasn't myself when I got there. I wanted to do anything I could to get back at you, so… I-" she faltered then, and I was starting to get the notion of where this was going. "I got drunk a couple nights, and there was this guy… his name was Riley… and we… we um… we hooked up a couple of times… and by hooked up I mean-" she stuttered, tears streaming down her face. "I know what you mean Aria," I stated, trying to keep my voice from quavering. "I'm sorry… I just… I don't know what I was thinking, I just wanted to get back at you and I guess I just lost it," she finished, choking on her last words before breaking down completely, beginning to sob. "Aria… I-" I took a deep breath, trying to hold it together, as I replied, "Aria, I am _so so sorry_ that I drove you to do that. I understand why you would do that, and I… I just feel terrible that I hurt you so bad to make you do that… I'm so sorry," I whispered, feeling tears stream down my face. It hurt, I could feel my heart shattering as I thought of Aria with some other guy… some guy she doesn't even like, only doing it to try and piece herself back together… I didn't even want to think of her with some other guy, not at all, but especially not in that way. It made me sick to the stomach, even more so because I knew it was my fault. I drove her to do that, I hurt her so completely that she felt the need to lose herself. I went to move my arm onto her shoulder, but hesitated, unsure if she would want my comfort right now. Sensing my hesitation, she shifted over and laid into my chest, whispering, "I'm sorry Ezra… I wish I could take it back, but I can't." I wrapped my arms around her then, allowing her to bury herself in my chest, being careful not to put pressure on my wound. I rested my head on top of hers, taking a moment to breathe and process. And then it hit me, the worst case scenario popped into my head and I couldn't get it out. _Is she pregnant? No… no she couldn't be… but actually she could be… oh my god…_ "Aria?" I asked gently, trying not to let my voice waver. "Aria, I just need to ask… are you… pregnant?" I whispered, the last word barely audible.

**:) well enjoy the wait, hope you liked the ending of this chapter! Heh…**


	8. Chapter 8

**Ezra POV:**

She didn't answer immediately and I began to fear the worst. "Aria, it's okay, I will be here to help you-" "Ezra-" "I won't leave you-" "Ezra, I'm not pregnant," she whispered. "Oh…" I felt her reach over and rest her hand on mine, intertwining our fingers together. "But I can't believe you would do that for me…" she whispered, tears forming in her eyes. "Aria, there isn't anything in this entire world I wouldn't do for you. I love you," I whispered back, squeezing her gently around her shoulder. I felt her move in closer, burying her face into my chest as she replied, "I love you too." "And hey," I said, making an attempt to get her to smile, "You put up with Malcolm." I hear her chuckle slightly, bringing a slight smile to my lips. She pulls away to look at me, smiling a bit as she said, "Hey, if everything goes well in your checkup tomorrow, we can finally go home!" I leaned down to give her a kiss, brushing her hair out of her face and moving my other hand to rest on her waist. She deepened the kiss, her tongue brushing on my bottom lip before I let her in, as we become lost in the kiss, time passing slower in our little world. "Oh god, not again!" I hear Spencer say, but it doesn't quite register until she comes over and taps Aria, awkwardly saying, "Aria, hello it's Spencer, the bathroom is all yours…" Aria immediately spins around, her face red, saying, "I didn't hear you…" The heat rises to my face as I realize my former student just walked in, again, on me making out with her best friend. "Yeah, I could see that by the say you two were-" Spencer began, before being cut off by Aria. "Okay well I'm gonna go take my shower." She grabbed her bag full of clothes and hurried out of the room, leaving me alone with Spencer.

**Spencer POV:**

"Well you two just can't seem to keep your hands off each other, can you?" I asked an already red Ezra. "I… um… we…" he stuttered, turning redder by the second. "That was meant to be a joke… attempted humor…" I stated awkwardly, walking over to my chair. "We need to have a talk," I stated, turning serious in an instant. "I'm sorry about using you girls, for keeping what I knew about Alison hidden-" "That's not what I'm talking about," I cut in. "Yes, we also need to talk about that, but I'd prefer to do it when everyone is here. Right now you and I are going to have a little talk about Aria." "Oh, um, okay," he said, clearly uncomfortable in the position I was putting him. "Firstly, I want to make absolute sure you know just how much you hurt her. You broke her Ezra, you completely and utterly broke her. Even when Alison taunted us, even through all of the shit she went through with her family, even through A, I have never see her so broken as when she found out you had been lying to her the whole time." I see tears beginning to form behind his eyes, feeling a small ounce of satisfaction that he was upset, that he was understanding what he had put Aria through. "Secondly, I am going to make it quite clear that you aren't returning to teaching at Rosewood High." "Yeah, I know, I um quit when Aria found out about… about me," he choked out, her voice cracking with emotion. "Okay, good. Thirdly, I need to know exactly how you feel about Alison," I stated, my voice becoming softer as I saw the tears begin to fall. "Alison and I… we only went out on a few dates, and we didn't really click. When I found out about her age, I confronted her about it, and when she didn't deny it, didn't even seem to care that she lied, I broke it off. I don't have any romantic feelings towards her at all, I only don't want her injured, or killed, just like I feel about you, Hanna, and Emily," he replied earnestly, his face conveying all he couldn't say. "Okay, that is good to hear. Finally, I am going to warn you. Aria is my _best friend, _and if you _ever _break her heart again, I promise you that I will destroy you, and I'm not the only one. Hanna, Emily, and I will make you regret the moment you were born if you so much as lie to her ever again, do you hear me?" I saw him nod his head, looking as if he were about to fall apart. "But I know you love her," I said, my voice softening, "And I know she loves you too. I can see it in the way you guys look at each other, I can see it in the way you two act around each other. She's lost without you, just like you're lost without her, and even though I will personally burn you down if you hurt her, I do support you guys. Have I made myself clear?" "Y-yes, message received. And Spencer, I just wanted to say that I really am sorry," he stated, looking me in the eyes. "What I did… well I deserve what I got. But you are right, I do love Aria, and I will do anything in the world for her." I nodded and stoop up, saying, "Well, let me go see if I can find us something to do until tomorrow, maybe they have a board game or some books." With that, I walked out of the room, leaving him to his thoughts. _He really does love her, doesn't he, _I thought.

**Emily POV:**

I awoke in the back of Spencer's van, startled to find Alison asleep on my shoulder. I looked over the seats to find that everyone else was also asleep, all except Mr. Hastings, who was driving. I looked back down at Alison, conflicted about my feelings for her. I kept thinking back to how she had treated me, playing with my feelings as if I were some doll she could throw around. How could I trust her not to play me like that again? Anyways, hadn't she made it pretty clear she was into guys, not girls? And then there's Paige… we had come so far, gotten through so much together. Even though I had broken it off… what was it, two nights ago, I still loved her. But what she did, going to the cops about Alison… before I had time to finish my thoughts, Alison blinked open her eyes.

**~Next chapter is going to have some sweet ezria scenes :)~**


	9. Chapter 9

**Aria POV:**

I felt fresh for the first time in a long time as I walked back into Ezra's room after showering and changing, my hair still damp. As I walked through the doorway, I saw he was sitting in the side of the bed, his face in his hands, crying softly. "Ezra?" I asked gently, putting down my things and walking over to him. "Are you okay?" "I'm sorry," he whispered, barely distinguishable among his sobs. "Ezra…" I was at a loss at what to say, so I simply sat down next to him, moving to brush away his tears. "Hey, look at me," I cooed, brushing his chin to face me. "I love you, Ezra, don't ever forget that." I leaned up to kiss him, bringing my hand to the back of his head to pull him down closer. He pulled away, looking at me before whispering, "I really am sorry Aria. I love you more than anything in the world." I smiled at him, pulling him back in for another kiss, and this time he didn't pull away. As his hands moved to my waist, I leaned back, him in front of me. My hands traveled to his neck and his back, pulling him close to me, as we laid down, him on top of me as we kissed, oblivious to the outside world. As his tongue met mine, I moved a hand to his lower back, under his shirt as I tangled the other in his hair. One of his hands moved to stroke my face, the other moved to my hips, his fingers brushing over my skin. I wrapped my legs around his, the kiss quickly becoming more heated. As we broke to breathe, he moved to kiss down my neck to my collarbone, then back up to give me a kiss on my nose before kissing my lips again. My fingers traced patterns on his back under his shirt, sending tingles up both our spines as I moved my hands to trace his ribs. I broke away suddenly, realizing I didn't know where Spencer is. "Where… is… Spencer?" I asked, making attempts to stifle my giggles as he tickled my waist, his lips brushing over my neck. "Mmm?" he mumbled, too focused on his task to respond. "Said… something about… getting books… and board games…" He managed, moving his mouth back up to mine. As the kiss became sweeter, I moved my hands back to his hair, signaling that we needed to slow it down. He reacted immediately, mimicking me and moving to hold my face in one hand, my waist in the other. As we broke for oxygen again, I rested my forehead against his. "As much as I don't want to, we should probably get up, I think we owe it to Spencer not to have her find us like this again…" He chuckled before moving so we were both laying on our sides facing each other. I gave him one more sweet kiss, drawing it out, before pulling away and sitting up, fixing my hair so it looked decently presentable. He sat up behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist, resting his chin on my neck as I leaned back against him, our hands intertwined.

**Spencer POV:**

After much hunting around the lobby, I was able to scrounge up three books, the board game Monopoly, and a deck of cards. I purchased some of the large M&M bags in case we decided to play cards later on, then headed back to Ezra's room. I walked in, Ezra and Aria both sitting on the bed, Aria leaning back on Ezra, their hands clasped together. Ezra's head was resting on her shoulder, both of their eyes closed, simply enjoying being with each other. "Hey, look what I found!" I held up my possessions, shaking the couple from their fantasy. "What should we play first, cards or Monopoly?" "Monopoly!" Ezra and Aria responded simultaneously, grinning at each other afterwards. "Okay, let's get it set up!" We moved the chair so it was on the other side of the table, clearing it so we could place the board there. I settled into my chair, Aria and Ezra making themselves comfortable on the bed. "Ready to lose?" I challenged them, my competitive side starting to kick in. "You wish!" Ezra laughed, as Aria replied, "I'm gonna kick both your guys' asses!"

**Outside POV (Hospital): **

After the first few rounds, Aria was in the lead, Spencer second, Ezra not far behind. Soon, Aria had the top two monopolies, beginning to dominate the board, to the horror of her opponents. Carefully avoiding Aria's properties, Spencer managed to build up her arsenal, obtaining a corner of the board, while Ezra obtained another corner. A few rolls afterwards, Ezra landed on Aria's monopoly, effectively wiping away all the money he had stored. "Hah, pay up buddy!" Aria mocked, patting Ezra's arm. "Or, I could do this…" he answered, pulling Aria onto his lap as he began to tickle her waist and kissing the back of her neck. "Nuh-uh, I don't think so," Spencer interrupted, "Pay up, you aren't getting out of this one, I have my eyes on that property of yours," she told Ezra with a wink. Aria turned to face Ezra, sticking her hand out, asking for his pay. "Fiiiiiine," he sighed, reaching his arms around Aria to hand over all his cash, mortgaging most of his property. Many rolls later, Spencer bankrupted Ezra, while he gasped in mock horror, Aria laughing at them both as they debated over the rules. Finally concluding Spencer was right, Ezra was exiled from the game, perfectly content to sit with Aria on his lap, leaving kisses on her when he pleased. Eventually Aria won the game, cheering as she crushed Spencer, receiving many dirty looks as she grumbled, moving her chair back to the window and curling up to sleep. "Let's play cards tomorrow, before we leave," yawned Ezra, crawling under the covers with Aria. "Yeah, alright," Spencer replied before falling asleep. Aria curled up into Ezra, whispering, "I hope everything goes well tomorrow," a concerned tone to her voice. "It will, don't worry," Ezra assured her, giving her a kiss on the top of her head as she nuzzled her face into his chest. "I love you," he whispered, wrapping his arms around her and bringing her in closer. "I love you too," she replied, before falling asleep in his arms.


	10. Chapter 10

**Ezra POV:**

I woke up early, lying for a moment in the hospital bed as I listened to the sound of Aria's heart beating against my chest, her body curled up next to me, our legs intertwined as her head was nestled in my chest. Her breathing was soft, warming my neck as she exhaled, her eyes lightly fluttering as she dreamed. Bringing my face out of her hair, I slowly untangled us, being sure not to wake Aria. I needed to go to my check up, to make sure all went well with the surgery, and didn't want her to worry. I finally got off the bed, silently making my way to the door, where I stood to look at her for a moment. Still fast asleep, her lips curled into a slight smile, her face peaceful, happy. "I love you," I whispered, before making my way across the cold marble hallway to the examination room. "Ezra Fitz?" a nurse asked as I stepped into the room. "Yes, that's me." "Okay, we are just going to make sure your body responded well to the operation, is anything in particular hurting?" "Other than the wound being sore and throbbing occasionally, nothing else seems to be wrong," I responded. She performed various tests on me, taking an x-ray at the end and asking me to wait for my results. When she brought them back, she gave me the good news that all went well. "You seem to be very lucky Ezra Fitz, you are free to go home now." "Yes I am very lucky, in more ways than one," I said quietly to myself as I made my way back to my room. I paused in the doorway to see Spencer reading quietly, Aria still deep in her slumber. Spencer looked up questionably, and I gave her a thumbs up and a smile. Aria rolled over then, seeming to be looking for me. I walked over to the bed, laying down on the other side of her. I lightly touched the hand that was searching the bed for me, bringing it to rest on my chest. Her lips perked into a small smile, her eyes still closed as she curled back up next to me. I caught Spencer watching, smiling at us as I wrapped my arms around her, cuddling her in tight. She quickly turned back to her book, a smile still etched on her face. I lent down to give Aria a kiss, drawing designs on her waist.

**Aria POV:**

I was on the edge of consciousness as I felt lips meet mine, the familiar scent of Ezra filling my nose. I kissed him back, half conscious at this point, and felt his hand venture under my shirt to my waist, drawing designs on my skin. I allowed my hand to move to his chest, my fingers tracing his body through his shirt. He deepened the kiss, his tongue entering my mouth, as I moved the hand up to his hair, bringing his head down to meet mine closer. His arm brought me in closer, so we had no space separating us, our heartbeats becoming one. After a while, he broke it off, smiling down at me as I finally opened my eyes. "Good morning to you too," I smiled, snuggling my head back into him. "Don't you have an exam to get to?" "Already did that earlier this morning, I checked out all good, we can go home today!" he, replied excitedly, and I was delighted to see his eyes light up. "Oh Ezra, I'm so glad you are going to be okay, I was just worried…" He cut me off with a small kiss, gentle and drawn out. Our foreheads rested together for a minute, and when I opened my eyes I caught Spencer smirking at us. "What?" I asked her, challenging her with my stare. "Nothing, it's nothing… you guys are just so cute together… I've never seen either of you so happy. Despite our situation, despite the fact that we're in a hospital in a different state without cell phones, you two seem to be in complete bliss." I smiled up at Ezra, giving him a peck on the lips before saying, "Well, let's get moving, we can make it halfway if we leave soon."

**Hanna POV:**

"Finally!" I exclaimed as we pulled into Spencer's driveway exhausted from two days in the car. "Jeez, I thought we would never make it!" I jumped out of the car, breathing in the fresh air before turning around to meet the incredulous stares of all my companions. "What? I've been trapped in a car with three parents and two girls who can't seem to stay apart for the last 48 hours, you can't blame me for being relieved at my freedom," I stated bluntly. As I watched Emily and Alison climb out of the car, I watched as Emily carefully detangled herself from Ali, walking towards me alone. A faint smile crossed my lips, proud of Emily for controlling her feelings. She gave me a knowing look, filled with confusion, fear, longing, and relief, and I returned it with a pained smile. She grasped my arm, and the three of us walked inside together, Alison walking next to Emily, but not attached. "You girls can stay in Spencer's room for now, Spencer called me an hour ago saying everything worked out well and they will be heading home later today. I glanced over at Alison, a mixture of emotions I couldn't quite distinguish crossing her face. From what I could tell, she seemed relieved, but it was mixed with other things I couldn't decipher. We made our way up to Spencer's room, all crashing on her bed, falling asleep within an instant. I saw Emily roll over towards me slightly, signaling she wasn't forgiving Alison that quickly. I patted her arm before drifting off into unconsciousness, hoping we would all be together soon.


	11. Chapter 11

**~This is just a short little chapter, I will continue it into chapter 12 asap, picking up in the morning at the motel.~**

**Outside POV (Hospital):**

As Spencer, Ezra, and Aria gathered their things to leave, Spencer went to the lobby to call her father, letting the other girls know they would be leaving later that day. Ezra checked out, and soon they were all filing towards the parking lot, where the police had dropped off Ezra's car so he could get back home. Ezra made an attempt to persuade Spencer to let him drive, but to no avail, because, as she stated, "Ezra, you just got out of the hospital because you had a bullet go through your abdomen. I can handle driving." He sighed and gave in, handing Spencer his keys. Spencer leaned in near Ezra, quickly whispering, "Anyways, you know Aria doesn't like long car rides, I'm sure you will find a way to comfort her," before smirking and hopping in the driver's seat. Ezra cleared his throat, climbing into the backseat next to Aria, his face slightly flushed. He moved so he was sitting in the middle seat, directly next to Aria, and she laid her head on his shoulder as the started the long journey home.

**Spencer POV:**

Eleven hours later, I pulled the car into a motel parking lot, relieved to get a rest from driving. I knew I could have asked Aria to drive, maybe even Ezra, but I felt that they could both use a good rest. Even though we've all been having nightmares, I can bet Aria's are the worst, and I don't even want to imagine what's going through Ezra's mind. I glanced back at them, both fast asleep, Aria's head over his heart, Ezra's head resting on hers, his arms wrapped around her. "Hey, Aria, let's wake up now," I said gently, reaching over the seat to lightly shake her. "Mmm… where are we?" she mumbled, lifting her head from Ezra's chest. "Hm?" Ezra murmured, awoken by Aria's movement. "We are going to stay the night at this motel, come on let's get out of the car," I said, stepping out into the cool night air, checking my watch to see it read 2:00am. We made our way to the reception area, and I checked us in, specifying one room, but two beds. We made our way up to our room, and as soon as I opened the door we all crashed on the beds. Aria got up and went into the bathroom, the sound of water signaling she was taking a shower. Ezra went in after her, and Aria and I found a movie to watch on the TV, settling down next to each other on one of the beds. I had showered before we left, so I was content to sit there, separating the two lovebirds, as Ezra came out and lay down on the other bed. We finished our movie, turning the TV off as we quickly fell asleep, our eyelids heavy from the long days behind us. A couple hours later I awoke, the bed shifting as Aria made her way over to Ezra. She crawled under the covers next to him, resting her head on his heart, her arms wrapped around his neck. His arms came up to cradle her, a smile forming on his lips as the situated themselves together. _She couldn't sleep without him, _I thought, _and he couldn't sleep without her. _


	12. Chapter 12

**~Thanks to everyone who gives me reviews, they are so sweet and really appreciated!~**

**Spencer POV:**

I woke up to the early morning light streaming in through the blinds, dazed and confused for a moment as I looked around. Taking in the motel room, the past night flooded back to me, us driving from the hospital and checking into the motel. I glanced over at the other bed, Aria and Ezra wrapped up together against the chilly air, and I shivered slightly, pulling up the blankets. Aria was curled up into a little ball, snuggled into Ezra's chest as he wrapped himself around her, his head bent in towards hers, their lips touching as if they had fallen asleep kissing. I shuffled out of bed, taking a quick hot shower before changing into my clothes I had picked out while we stayed in the hospital. I brushed and dried my hair, then walked out to find one of those sticky note pads motel rooms always have. I scrawled a quick note to Aria, letting her know I was going out to find something for breakfast, leaving it on the bedside table. Pulling on my boots and jacket, I took one last glance at the sleeping couple before leaving the room, walking along the sidewalk to the town I had seen next to the motel.

**Ezra POV:**

I began to regain consciousness, breaking from my slumber as I felt Aria move closer to me under the blankets. The back of my neck tingled with the cold air, and I could feel the chill in my fingers and toes. Our lips were still touching, and I kissed Aria lightly, moving my hands under her shirt to warm them up. She yelped a little, my fingers chilling her back. "Hey, your fingers are cooooold!" she giggled, in turn moving hers up and down my spine under my shirt. I shivered, part from her cold fingers, part from the electric feeling it gave me to have her hands running up my bare back. She uncurled herself a bit, allowing her feet to come rest by mine, intertwining them as she commented, "Wow, winter is really beginning to settle in isn't it?" "Yep, but I don't mind, it just gives me an excuse to do this," I responded, pulling her close to me, kissing her passionately. We broke for oxygen, and she whispered, "You don't ever need an excuse to do that," before tilting her head back up to meet mine for another long passionate kiss, our hands roaming each other's backs. Her fingers traced up and down my spine, my hands moving to her sides, moving from her hips up to the back of her neck and back again. She pulled away suddenly, turning on her back to glance over at Spencer's bed, which was unoccupied. "Where is Spencer?" she questioned, panic creeping into her voice. "Um… oh wait, I think that's a note on the table," I noticed. She reached over, reading it before breathing a sigh of relief. "She's just gone to get some breakfast, and she should be back by 8," she stated, placing the note back on the table. Before she could turn back over, I gently rolled over on top of her, taking note of the time before whispering in her ear, "Well, that gives us an hour to ourselves before she gets back." "Hm, does it now?" she mumbled, wrapping her legs around mine, pulling my neck down towards her. I decided to tease her a bit, moving my face to kiss her neck down to her collarbone, my hands moving back under her shirt so they were resting underneath her. I could feel them tingling, not from the warmth of our bodies but rather the fact that were touching, and I could tell she felt it too. Her hands snuck under the rim of my shirt to my chest, moving her hands up to my neck then back down to my waist, sliding them over my sides to my back, successfully pulling me as close to her as possible. I brought my lips to hers, reveling in the spark I felt when they touched, slipping my tongue between her lips to meet hers. Heat eventually began to spread through our bodies as we warmed each other, enclosed in our own little bubble, keeping out the nip of the winter air. As we rested our foreheads together, we closed our eyes, taking a little while to simply be there, to enjoy these precious moments. We both knew that once we got back to Rosewood, things would begin to change again, our fantasy would be over. My gut flipped as I recalled how I had lied to her, and I could feel tears welling behind my eyes. Away from Rosewood, we were able to pretend nothing had to change, but I knew as soon as we stepped foot back in that wretched town we would have to start over. I needed to earn back her trust, and I knew it would be a slow process. _It takes twice as long to put yourself back together as it does to fall apart, _I thought, _and I completely shattered her heart. We are broken, and in order to mend our bond we will need time. _She seemed to sense what I was feeling, and I opened my eyes to meet her gaze, the look in her eyes matching mine. "I know," she whispered before resting her head on my shoulder, not needing to say anything more. I laid my face into her hair, breathing in her scent as we laid there for the next few minutes. Eventually, I pulled away from her, both of us sitting upright. "I'm going to go take a quick shower," she stated, hopping off the bed and into the bathroom. Ten minutes later she came out, dressed in nothing but a towel. I tried to look away, but I couldn't help but sneak a glance as she rummaged around for her clothes. She suddenly looked back up, catching my gaze as I stared at her. I immediately averted my eyes, blushing as I got up to go into the bathroom.

**Aria POV:**

As Ezra hurried into the bathroom, I felt a small smile creep onto my face, and my cheeks warmed as I blushed at the fact that he had been staring at me. I changed into my clothes from the previous day, then sat down on the bed to brush my hair. I plugged the hairdryer I had taken from the bathroom into an outlet, and dried my hair while Ezra showered. I finished just as he walked out, dressed in the T-shirt and jeans Spencer got for him. Spencer walked in a few minutes later, carrying a bag full of bagels and three hot chocolates. We ate our little feast, Ezra insisting to lick the chocolate from my lips, earning us multiple smirks from Spencer. After we finished, we threw away our trash and made our way to Ezra's car, Ezra insisting to drive. Spencer eventually gave in, after he pointedly argued she had driven all last night and gotten us breakfast. I had tried to get into the driver's seat while they were arguing, but Ezra refused, stating that he owed us both at least this much. After an awkward silence, Spencer and I got into the back, and Ezra started the car, pointing us in the direction of home.

**Outside POV (Ali/Em/Han)**

The three girls had slept for a good ten hours, waking to grumbling stomachs and smeared makeup. After they each showered and changed clothes, each wearing the clothes their parents had laid out for them while they were asleep, the girls made their way downstairs to be greeted by all the parents. "Good morning!" they stated, a little bit too enthusiastically, clearly trying to disperse the tension, each eyeing Alison as if she would suddenly disappear into thin air. "Morning," the girls mumbled, pouring bowls of cereal and glasses of juice. For some reason, the adults kept laughing and trying to having conversations with the girls, seemingly preparing them for some big and awful news. Finally, Hanna had enough, and loudly stated, "Okay, what's the big news, because you all are driving me crazy!" After exchanging many sad and worried looks, the parents all faced Alison. "Alison…" Ella stated quietly, pausing as if she didn't know how to deliver the news. Veronica cut in, barely audible as she spoke, tears forming behind her eyes, "Your mother… Alison, your mother has been killed."


	13. Chapter 13

**Alison POV:**

The world started to tilt, my vision getting blurry as my ears rang with what Ms. Hastings just told me. "What?!" I whispered, tears rolling down my face, my voice choked with emotion. "I'm so sorry Alison…" I heard someone say, before all I could hear was a ringing. I felt myself falling down, someone catching me, and then I blacked out.

**Emily POV:**

_Ms. DiLaurentis is dead?! How? Why? _These thoughts ran through my head, my gaze shifting from one person to another, finally landing on Alison. Her body was shaking, tears streaming down her face. "What!?" she whispered, her voice choked. "I'm so sorry Alison… the police are looking into it… I'm so sorry," Ms. Hastings said, at a loss for words. Alison began to fall backwards, and I moved forward to catch her. She had clearly fainted, the news of her mother too much for her to process. "I'll take her upstairs," I stated quietly, picking her up bridal style and carrying her up to Spencer's room. As I placed her down on Spencer's bed, I checked to see if the coast was clear before tucking her in and placing a small kiss on her forehead, then walking back downstairs.

**Hanna POV:**

As Emily took Alison upstairs, all I could manage to do was sit down on the couch and process. _Ms. DiLaurentis is dead? Why would A kill her, didn't Ezra think she was A? Oh my god, what if that's who he though was on the building, what if he doesn't actually know?! _Nobody was saying everything, everyone caught up in their own questions and grief. _Haven't we experienced enough death already? _I asked myself, recalling all the friends we have lost to this monster. _When will this end?_

**Ezra POV:**

I glanced in the rearview mirror to see both Aria and Spencer reading a book, engrossed in the world of their fictional characters. We were nearing Rosewood, probably about 20 minutes away. I didn't want to go back, no, I wanted to keep driving, I wanted to take Aria as far away from this colossal mess as I could. I wanted to take her somewhere safe, somewhere she couldn't ever be harmed by anyone, somewhere she could be happy and free. But here I was, just driving, keeping on the path towards Rosewood. _5 minutes _I told myself, as we approached the café on the outskirts of the town. "Ezra, can you stop here?" Aria asked, motioning to the café in front of us. "Um, sure, do you want to get something?" I questioned, perplexed at her odd request. "Uh, not quite, but we need to go inside." She said, not giving anything away. As the three of us piled out of the car, Aria pulled Spencer aside and talked to her in urgent, hushed tones. I began to worry, wondering if I should go over and ask what was happening, when Aria came over to me, grasping my hand as we walked inside. I lightly rubber her hand, stroking her knuckles as she held on tight. Spencer walked to the counter, while Aria led me to the back of the café to a secluded eating area. It had a couch, and was surrounded by bookshelves, reminding me of one of those little cafés from my books. "Aria, what's going on?" I questioned, worried. "Come here." She whispered, sitting down on the couch. I obliged, sitting down next to her. "We are on the border of Rosewood. Once we cross that line, there is no going back. I just wanted to let you know that I love you Ezra, I really do. But in Rosewood… you understand." She whispered, her voice cracking at the end. "I understand," I whispered back, pulling her in for a hug. "I understand that it will take time Aria, I know that. But never forget that I love you." She looked up at me, staring into my eyes before leaning in for a kiss. We enjoyed our last few minutes together outside Rosewood, our last moments before we had to start over. Eventually we broke away, walking to the door to meet Spencer, who handed us each a coffee. The three of us got back into the car, this time Spencer in the back while Aria sat shotgun, me in the driver's seat. I drove us the final distance to the border, and Aria and I clasped hands as we drove through it. 'Welcome to Rosewood' the sign read, not telling all the horrors that lay within. Our hands clasped tightly between us, Aria, Spencer, and I drove past the sign, into the town where we would have to begin again.


	14. Chapter 14

**~This is a relatively long chapter to make up for the last one being so short; enjoy!~**

**Spencer POV:**

'Welcome to Rosewood' I saw as we passed into the town, and I noticed Aria and Ezra grab each other's hand, as if they needed to hold on to each other. "The girls are staying at my house right now," I told Ezra, and he nodded and started driving there. As we pulled up in front of my house, I keenly noted that he was able to find my house without any direction form me, he already had known where I lived. I could tell from the way Aria tensed up that she noticed it too, signaling to me that she hadn't told him, meaning he had known where we all lived. Ezra glanced over at Aria as she let go of his hand, moving hers back into her lap. Momentarily confused, he looked about ready to ask her what was wrong, but then he looked back out the glass, realizing what he had done. "Aria…" he faltered, pain and guilt washing over his face. "Let's go get the reunion over with," Aria interrupted, her voice short and harsh, stepping out of the car and beginning to walk towards my house. I got out after her, leaving Ezra in the car to take a moment to compose himself. Finally once the three of us were standing at my front door I rang our doorbell, preparing myself for the onslaught that was about to commence.

**Hanna POV:**

My head shot up as I heard the doorbell ring, and I was racing for it before I realized what I was doing. I flung open the door, jumping on Aria and Spencer, giving them both a big bear hug. "Aria! Spencer!" Emily yelled, running to join our group hug, the four of us embracing while Ezra stood awkwardly to the side, apparently interested in Spencer's plants. As we pulled away, Spencer and Aria took note of our tear stained cheeks and our smudged mascara, simultaneously asking, "What happened?" Emily and I's grins faded immediately, and we looked at each other before I stated quietly, "Ms. D was murdered." Ezra looked up, clearly shocked, as Aria and Spencer clasped hands, their faces showing a mix of emotions. "Where is Alison?" Aria asked, concerned. "She um…" Emily said, "She's sleeping in Spencer's room… she didn't take the news of her mother very well…" The four of us made of way through the door, Ezra trailing behind. Our parents were waiting in Spencer's living room, and Aria's and Spencer's parents came over to welcome them back. After their reintroductions, Aria, Spencer, Emily and I made our way up to Spencer's room to see if Alison was awake.

**Ezra POV:**

As the four girls walked up to Spencer's room, I stayed in the living room, feeling the gaze of everyone else on my neck. "Well, we shouldn't talk about anything until everyone is here," Ella began, "so you might as well go upstairs and tell the girls to come down." I gave her a thankful look, before walking up the stairs, pausing at the top, wondering which way to go. I heard the girls talking, and made my way towards the sound, knocking on the door and opening it when I heard Emily say, "Come in." They all looked surprised to see me, and Aria and Spencer got the same look they had in the car. "Erm, they want to talk to all of us and told me to come get you… I heard you guys talking so I knew which room to come to…" I stumbled, trying but failing to choose my words carefully. Luckily, I saw both girls visibly relax, and decided to proceed. "We should probably get downstairs…" I said, turning around and walking out, relieved when they decided to follow me.

**Outside POV:**

The five girls and Ezra made their way down the stairs towards the parents, each standing stiffly as if they were targets of the firing squad. Alison stood at one end, then Hanna, Spencer Aria, and Ezra next to her. "First thing's first," Veronica said, "Ezra, what part do you play in this?" "I-" He was cut off by Spencer, who said, "Ezra had found out there was another A, and decided to try and find them." Aria quietly grabbed Ezra's hand, taking him by surprise, but he didn't let it show. She squeezed it lightly, not in a reassuring manner, but rather in a 'play along' manner. Spencer continued, "He had followed them to New York, where they had been tracking Alison, and when A cornered us on the building Ezra stepped out to distract them. A had a gun, and when Ezra got it away from him he got shot, and A escaped over the ledge." The parents looked suspiciously from Spencer to Ezra, silently asking if she was telling the truth. Aria gave Ezra's hand another slight squeeze, warning him, and he nodded in confirmation. "Yeah, I had figured out that there was another A and decided to try and find who they were so I could help Ari- the girls," he stuttered. "I um have my research at my apartment, the girls wanted to look through it to see if they could find anything." "Wait," Byron interrupted, "You mean you don't know who A is?" Ezra took a few seconds before answering, then replying, "No. No I couldn't find who they were, only where they were going and what they were doing." The parents shared concerned glances, before Ashley spoke up, "Well, the girls can help you go through your research, let us know if anyone finds anything." The six of them nodded, turning to leave when Pam spoke up, "Wait, Ezra, you can't stay alone in your apartment, you just got out of the hospital." "Oh, um, it's okay…" he muttered, before she interrupted him, stating, "No, it's not alright, you need someone to make sure you are alright for at least a week, that injury of yours could get infected, or something could happen." "Mom, I really don't think he wants us to-" "Emily, you girls owe him for what he did for you." The girls exchanged looks, trying as best as they could to conceal their emotions, but all sending the same message: _What he did for us? Oh, if only they knew… _"We can decide later, we'll call you to let you know if we find anything," Alison said, wanting to get out of there. "Wait, we don't have our phones," Aria stated, her hand now detached from Ezra's. "Oh! Noel dropped them off while you girls were sleeping, he said Alison had been in contact with her, and he took them to make sure the police didn't find you." Veronica said, handing the girls back their phones. Ezra's face displayed a look of surprise, before he quickly became neutral again, but not without Aria noticing. Once outside, Aria pulling Ezra aside, asking, "You didn't know that Noel had been with Alison?" "No." he stated, and I could see his gears whirring. "Does that change things?" she asked, before Ezra said, "I'm not sure… let's just go." As they made their way to the cars, Spencer and Emily took her car while Alison, Hanna, and Aria got into Ezra's, Ezra driving as Alison got into the passenger seat.

**Spencer POV:**

As Emily and I were driving to Ezra's apartment, I looked over at her from the driver's seat. "Emily, Alison will hurt you again. Are you sure it's such a good idea to-" I was cut off by Emily, who said, "I don't want to have this conversation right now Spencer," effectively ending what I was about to say. "Okay, just be careful." I said instead, turning back to the road.

**Aria POV:**

As Hanna sat next to me in the backseat, we exchanged a look, _This sure is going to be an interesting ride. _I looked up front to see Ezra's hand resting in the middle like it normally was, about to turn to look out the window when I saw Alison's hand snake over on top of his. _THAT BITCH! _I mentally screamed, using all of my self-control not to reach up and smack her. _Get your hand off him NOW. _I commanded her, glaring lasers at the back of her neck. Ezra quickly moved his hand away, placing it on the steering wheel, earning him an incredulous and annoyed glance from Alison, before she turned to look out the window, leaving her hand resting in the middle. Hanna kicked her seat, giving me a look, a mixture of annoyance and amusement. When we finally got out of the car, the air tense with awkwardness, Alison asked, "Which apartment is yours?" "Don't you know?" I asked without thinking, assuming she had been there before. "No, she wouldn't know because I never showed her my apartment," Ezra said tersely, walking over to the doors and inside the building. I smiled softly, relieved she hadn't been inside his apartment, that she hadn't even known which room he lived in. Spencer and Emily were waiting by his door when we got there, Ezra unlocking it before we filed in. The mess I had left was all cleaned up, but I could tell things were still out of place, I could tell which things were missing. I glanced over at the bookshelf, vaguely remembering shattering the picture he had of us, only to see it back in the bookcase, the glass fixed and the picture in a new frame. I felt a smile creep onto my face, but hiding it before anyone could see, as we sat down on the couch, Ezra bringing out his research.

**Ezra POV:**

I pulled out my research, laying the boxes on my couch as we all sat down on the floor. We began sorting through all the material, making different piles: Hints about A, things about the girls, and an etcetera pile. I spoke up before we started, telling them my suspicions about Jason and Wren, but making it clear that I wasn't sure, and that I didn't know who was running the show. They all looked shocked, except for Aria of course, before Spencer said, "Well, let's see if we can find anything," moving to start sorting through the boxes. After a good three hours of rummaging through everything, we had finished about half of it all. "Let's watch a movie!" Hanna piped up, and I glanced around to see that everyone was tired of searching through everything, tired of realizing what I creep I had been. My stomach sank as I looked at Aria, her face streaked with tears, her eyes still full of unshed tears she was trying to hide. It broke my heart to see her like that, shattering it to know that I was the cause. "Uh, sure," I said, my voice cracking, earning a look from Spencer. She saw that my eyes had begun to fill up with tears, and immediately looked over at Aria, taking in the girl's tear stricken face and her attempts to cry without being noticed. I got up before she could look back at me, asking Hanna what movie she wanted to watch. "Um… wow do you only have black and whites?" she asked, unable to find a movie she wanted to watch. "Well, I think I should have… ah here it is," I said, pulling out _Jurassic Park. _"Is this alright?" "Yeah, sure," she said, as the other girls cleared off the couch, moving the boxes and material behind it. Aria sat at one end of the couch, Emily at the other with Alison next to her, Spencer situated on the floor with a pillow and blanket. Hanna sat down next to her, leaving me with the only place left: between Aria and Alison. _Oh god, they did this on purpose. _I thought, quickly growing uncomfortable at the thought of being between the two of them for two hours. I awkwardly sat between them, sitting closer to Aria than Alison, but making sure to leave enough space in between. About ten minutes into the movie, I felt Alison's hand move on top of mine, attempting to intertwine our fingers. I quickly pulled it away to my lap, but instead she just placed it back on top of it. From the corner of my eye, I saw Aria glance over, anger crossing her face before she turned back to the television, a stormy look in her eyes. I picked up Alison's hand, my eyes still glued to the television, and placed it back on her own lap, hoping to discourage her from doing it again. I was successful for about a half hour, when I felt her rest her head on my shoulder, her hand resting next to my thigh. I cleared my throat, hoping to hint for her to _stop it_, but she either didn't take the hint or didn't care. I could see Aria clench her jaw, shifting her body so she was farther away from me, the faint trace of tears in her eyes. I wanted so badly to shift over and comfort her, but I was stuck with Alison resting her head on my shoulder, because in order to shake her off I would have to practically sit on Aria, and I didn't want to disrespect her space. So, I clenched my fists, and continued to 'watch' the movie, aware of the single tear that had silently slipped onto Aria's cheek. Luckily, Alison fell asleep fifteen minutes later, and I was able to move her onto a sleeping Emily, glad to be free of the girl. I looked over at Aria to see her watching, quickly turning back to the television. I looked down to see Spencer and Hanna asleep below us, leaning on each other. Aria's cheeks had shining tracks down them, and her jaw was clenched in order to stop herself from making any sound. "Aria," I whispered, slowly moving my hand next to hers. She didn't move it away, so I carefully placed my hand on top of hers, intertwining our fingers. "I. Love. You." I said softly but firmly, putting emphasis on each word, especially the last one. She glanced up at me, her eyes sad, before moving so she was gently leaning on me, luckily on the opposite side of my bullet wound. I moved the hand that was on hers to rest over her shoulders, and let my other hand take its place. "I love you too," she whispered, snuggling her head into my chest, curling her other arm in or she was curled up next to me. I slightly tightened my grip around her, bringing her in closer to me, and gave her a small kiss on the top of her head before resting in on hers.

**Hanna POV:**

I awoke to a lack of sound, glancing up at the television to see that the movie was over. I got up and switched it off, turning around to see that everyone was asleep. Alison was resting on Emily, which surprised me considering the little game she had been playing with Ezra. _Ezra must have moved her off once she fell asleep_, I thought, chuckling quietly. Aria was snuggled up next to Ezra, her face buried in his chest as his arm wrapped around her, his face in her hair. I smiled, going to sit back down next to Spencer, grabbing my phone and texting my mom that we all had fallen asleep and were going to stay the night here. I then rested my head on Spencer's shoulder, falling back asleep.


	15. Chapter 15

**~Hey, sorry I haven't updated in a while, I've been swamped with school… but in two weeks it'll be summer break so I'll be writing a lot more often!~**

**Ezra POV:**

I awoke as the early morning light seeped in through my blinds, settling on the sleeping form of Aria. She was still curled up next to me in a little ball, her face resting on my chest as I rested my lips in her hair, her arms and legs curled up next to her. I groggily opened my eyes, moving my face from her hair to look around my apartment. Everyone else was still sleeping, Alison resting on Emily on the other end of the couch, and Hanna resting her head on Spencer on the ground below them. I sighed into Aria's hair, debating on waking her up or enjoying this precious moment, knowing that once I awoke her things would go back to how they had been. I glanced over at my clock, seeing that it read 8:35, and decided that we should probably get up. I gave her head a small kiss, gently rubbing her arm to wake her. As she stirred slightly, I whispered into her hair, "Good morning beautiful," and she opened her eyes to greet mine. "Hey," she whispered, looking into my eyes as I lightly traced patterns on her arm. She glanced over at the other girls, her gaze resting on Alison. "After all this time, after all we've been through, and she still just can't help herself, she can't help to treat us like her dolls," she whispered after a few moments, her voice quavering. "Hey," I whispered, my hand brushing over her chin as I turned her gaze back to mine. "You are not her toy, she doesn't control you… nobody controls you, except _you._" We held each other's gaze, listening to our heartbeats as I continued to trace small patterns on her arm. "What I said last night was true, you know," I whispered. "I love you, Aria, I always have and I always will." She gave me a small smile, tilting her chin up so our lips were inches apart, and I began to move my face down to kiss her, when suddenly a cell phone rang. Seconds later, Hanna shot upright, tears forming in her eyes as she uttered one word, her voice raw with sudden emotion. "Caleb."

**Aria POV:**

As soon as I heard 'Caleb' I immediately turned my head to look at Hanna, who was sitting on the floor in complete shock, shaking slightly. I quickly got up off the couch and sat next to her, grabbing her hand, as I said, "Answer it Hanna, you should hear what he has to say." "No," she whispered, slowly shaking her head, tears beginning to fall onto her cheeks. "No, I don't want to hear what he has to say, not after all this time." With that, she hit the decline button, sliding her phone across the floor. "Are you okay?" I asked, as she curled her knees in so they were drawn to her chest. "Yeah, I just need to think for a little while," she responded, laying her head on her knees and closing her eyes. "Okay," I whispered, standing up and looking at Ezra. I looked hesitantly at the place besides him, moving to sit next to him again when he motioned to it. "I'm sorry, it's just-" "Don't apologize, you are an amazing friend, I understand," he smiled, meeting my gaze. Spencer stirred then, along with Emily and Alison, who all glanced over at the two of us, before shifting their attention to Hanna, who was still curled up with her face on her knees. "Hey, what happened?" Spencer asked softly, turning to give me a questioning look as I moved my gaze from Ezra's to hers. "Caleb called," I whispered, as Hanna uncurled herself and stood up. "What did he have to say?" Emily asked, standing up next to her. "I don't know, I didn't pick up," Hanna stated, wiping the tears from her cheeks. "Han…" Spencer said, before being cut off by Hanna. "No. I don't want to hear his voice, I don't want to hear his excuses." Sensing that we were entering into dangerous territory as Hanna's eyes glinted, I quickly stood up in between Spencer and Hanna, saying, "Hey, let's call our parents to tell them we're awake, I think they said something about Ms. D's funeral being today." I glanced over at Alison, who kept her gaze directed at her lap, her eyes looking sad but her face refusing to give away any emotion. Spencer got her cell phone then, and dialed her mother while we all listened on speakerphone. "Hey, mom, I wanted to let you know we are all awake." "Oh okay good, you girls will need to get ready for Ms. DiLaurentis's… her funeral…it's um… it's at noon," she said, her voice cracking. "It's going to be a small funeral, so Alison can attend without being seen. It will only be you girls, us, oh and tell Ezra he is welcome to come as well." They said their goodbyes, and Spencer hung up the phone and looked at us. "We should go get ready, we can finish going through all of this afterwards," she said, gesturing to the boxes and papers strewn around us. "Ezra," she said, looking over at him as he brought his head up to meet her gaze, "We will pick you up here at 11:30." The girls all headed towards the door, shuffling their feet and trying to blink the sleep from their eyes. As we opened the door and stepped out into the hallway, I looked back at Ezra, our gazes meeting. I stood in his doorway, lost in his eyes, before Spencer pulled my arm gently after her, and we walked out into the hallway, shutting his door behind us.

**Emily POV:**

We all went back to Spencer's house after stopping at our own, picking up our dresses and saying hello to our parents, who were also preparing. We ate a quick and silent breakfast back at Spencer's house, the tension in the room too much to maneuver through. Once we finished, we walked up to Spencer's room to put on our dresses, Alison borrowing one of Hanna's. I purposely put as much distance as I could between Alison and myself as we changed, not wanting to feel attracted to her. _She is only going to break your heart again, _I told myself, _You saw the way she was looking at Ezra. Well, you also saw the way she was looking at you… No, stop it. _I internally battled myself, ending up more confused that I began. Once the clock hit 11:20, we all piled into Spencer's car to drive to Ezra's, and I made sure to sit in the passenger seat next to Spencer, forcing Alison back with Hanna and Aria. I felt a small twinge of satisfaction as I saw the wounded look on her face as I got in the car, and for the first time in my life I felt as if Alison DiLaurentis didn't control me. Ezra was waiting for us when we knocked on his door, and we all walked back down to the parking lot, Aria lagging behind to walk next to him. I glanced back to see her brush her hand over his, and they simultaneously intertwined their fingers, a smile forming on both their faces. The six of us managed to squeeze into Spencer's van, Ezra and Aria in the very back, then Hanna and Alison, finally Spencer and I in the front. We made our way to the church, stepping out to greet our parents as we all somberly walked in together. The funeral was short, and within an hour it was over. We all made our way outside, standing around as we talked quietly. I suddenly realized Aria was nowhere to be found, and looked around to see Ezra looking for her too, his brows scrunched. Suddenly, his frown turned into a small smile, and his face relaxed as he made his way back inside. Perplexed, I motioned for the other girls to follow me quietly, and once inside we followed him up the stairs, hiding next to the wall. Aria was standing near the window looking outside as Ezra walked up the stairs, standing so he was parallel to her with the other window.

**Outside POV:**

"Funny seeing you up here," Ezra said to Aria, a tone of humor in his voice. She looked over at him, smiling slightly, as she replied, "A lot of memories, hm." He walked a few steps towards her, so they were only separated by a little space. They looked into each other's eyes, a hint of sadness between the two of them. Suddenly, Aria moved up to kiss him lightly on his cheek, pulling back to say something, but Ezra whispered, "Don't, Aria. I love you…" "I wasn't going to, Ezra, not this time." They stared at each other, before Aria said, "We should probably get back, they'll be wondering about us. She walked past him, making her way towards the stairs, when he stuck out his hand, grabbing her arm and spinning her back to him so they were separated by a mere inch of air. She looked up at him, tilting her head up to meet his, closing her eyes as their lips touched for the first time since they'd been back. The kiss started off slow and sweet, each savoring it before they broke. Aria tilted her head slightly, moving one hand up his arm to his neck, bringing his head back down to meet hers, his hands moving to her face as they embraced again. He opened his mouth slightly as their tongues met, allowing one of his hands to travel down her side to her waist, slowly wrapping his arm around her, bringing her as close as possible as his fingers grazed her hip on her other side. After a minute they broke for air, resting their foreheads together, their eyes still shut, savoring the moment. "I love you too Ezra," Aria said, bringing their lips back together for another kiss. A few minutes later they slowly broke apart, smiling at each other before holding hands and walking down the stairs, together.


	16. Chapter 16

**~I would like to answer the question as to why Caleb called Hanna: in the show, he will be returning, so I'm going to incorporate that… as well as Toby ;) reviews are appreciated btw!~**

**Spencer POV:**

"Come on, let's go follow him," Emily whispered, motioning towards Ezra, who was making his way back inside. Curious, I nudged the others, and we quietly followed, bewildered as to what he was doing. _Where's Aria? _I asked myself, worried yet intrigued. As we made our way inside, Ezra was nowhere to be found, but soon we heard voices from upstairs. We crept up the staircase, rounding the corner to see Ezra and Aria standing near the windows. We quickly slid back against the wall, carefully sticking our heads near the corner so we could watch. Aria reached up and gave him a kiss on the cheek, and they exchanged some words before she began to walk towards us… _oh shit… wait what's he… ooh… _Ezra had spun Aria around, pulling her close so their lips were almost touching. I could feel the tension from here, before Aria reached up and pressed the remaining space away, and they melded their bodies together. I felt a small smile growing on my lips as they adjusted themselves, Ezra's hand snaking around her waist to lightly stroke her hip on her other side, Aria's hands playing on Ezra's neck. I felt a small pang in my heart as I thought of Toby, of how we used to do that, before _no _I tell myself. _No, don't think of Toby right now, don't do that to yourself. _I averted my gaze, ushering the girls back down the steps so we were in the main part of the church. "I totally called it," Hanna giggled, receiving a quick glare from Alison before she covered it up, but not before Emily saw. "Shhh, they'll hear us!" I whispered, failing to stifle my own laughter. We made our way back outside, grouping around as we made small talk, waiting for the two lovebirds to exit. "Jeez, how long has it been, what, ten minutes already?" Hanna moaned as we began to grow impatient. "Maybe I should just…" she said, turning around and walking towards the church. "Hanna, no!" I said sternly, grasping her hand and pulling her back. "Aw, come on, wouldn't you love to see their faces when I-" "Hanna!" "Fine, fine, fine, we can wait here for the next hour if you want…" "Wait here for the next hour for what?" I heard Aria say behind us, walking out with Ezra's hand clasped tightly in hers. I gave Hanna a warning look, but it did nothing to deter her response. "Wait an hour for you two to stop making out!" Their faces turned red, and Aria awkwardly spluttered, "Wait, you were up there? Did you follow us… what am I saying of course you did…" Suddenly I heard a sharp intake of breath from Emily and Alison, and I spun around to see them trying to cover up a smile. "What?!" I demanded, before I felt two hands wrap around me from my backside. A smile formed immediately over my face, and I leaned back into his embrace as he said, "Hey." I turned my chin up as he turned his down, and I met his lips as his hands moved down to my waist, pulling me tighter against him. I felt his tongue enter my mouth, and our kiss quickly became heated, and I could feel both of us smiling into it, lost in our own little world. "Um, helloooo, earth to the lovebirds?" I could hear Hanna saying, but I continued to ignore her as I turned around in Toby's embrace so I was facing him, wrapping my arms around his neck as he wrapped his around my back.

**Ezra POV:**

"Are you serious Spencer? Wow, well okay, all the single people follow me," I heard Hanna say, before she walked away. I looked down at Aria, who was currently standing in front of me, her back to me as our hands were clasped together. We both smiled at each other, and I said, "Well, you heard, her, all the single people follow her." She gave me a confused look, before I leaned down to give her a kiss, brushing my nose over hers. She lifted her chin so she could meet my lips, leaning back into my embrace as we met. We broke, and I whispered into her lips, "So I guess we won't be going anywhere..." before kissing her again, drawing it out in passion. I heard her mumble into my lips, "Never again," before she turned around in the same manner Spencer had, wrapping her hands around my neck and drawing me in closer. I felt her mold her body to mine, and I wrapped my hands all the way around her waist, pulling her as close as possible. I sighed into the kiss, opening my mouth to hers, and I felt her fingers make their way into my hair. Suddenly we heard Spencer and Toby yelp, Spencer mumbling a few curse words at someone, and multiple people giggling in the background. I thought nothing of it, content to stay just where I was, and I allowed my fingers to make small circles on Aria's hips. And then I felt an icy cold jet of water hit my lips, and Aria and I both pulled away instantly. "Hanna!" Aria yelped, glaring as Hanna, Emily, and Alison burst out into laughing fits. I glanced at the spray bottle in Hanna's hand, as she squirted between us again, successfully separating our bodies. "Hm, guess I'll be keeping this handy if the four of you are going to be spending time together with us," Hanna smirked, aiming the squirt bottle back at us when Aria turned around and leaned into me, careful not to put pressure on my wound. Before Hanna could react, I scooped Aria up and walked to my car parked a few feet away, setting her down outside the passenger door. "Well, this has been fun Hanna, but I prefer to stay dry when it's this cold out." I see her smirk and open her mouth, but luckily Emily intervenes before she can make her little comment. "How about we all meet up at your place in two hours to finish going through all the stuff?" "Sure," I nod, and Aria and I get in my car and drive away. I smile as we drive, and Aria looks over to say, "Hey, what are you grinning about?" "You," I say, moving my hand to brush hers. She smiles and moves over so she's resting her head on my shoulder as we make our way back to my apartment. _Also the look on Alison's face, it was priceless, _I thought. _Maybe next time she'll leave the two of us alone. _


	17. Chapter 17

**~This is going to be a shorter chapter, but I should be able to update sooner this time. Reviews are always appreciated, enjoy!~**

**Aria POV:**

Once we arrived at Ezra's apartment, we took off our jackets and sat down on the couch. He turned on the television, as I picked out a black and white movie for us to watch before the others came over. As I settled myself on the couch, he draped his arm around my shoulders, and I nuzzled my head into the crook of his neck, curling my legs up behind me. Throughout the movie, he would kiss me lightly in my hair, and I absentmindedly made designs on his chest with my fingers as his made circles on my bicep. Suddenly we heard the door opening, and I looked up at him concerned. He shared my look, and we both looked over at the door as it swung open to reveal… Spencer, followed by Alison, Hanna, and Emily. "How did you get in, I thought I locked the door?" Ezra asked Spencer, who in turn held up a key. Ezra seemed at a loss for words, so Spencer filled in, "Yeah, I had one made. So, let's get started on this research." Ezra glanced down at me, and we shared an exasperated look before we got off the couch to start rummaging through the research. I walked over to Spencer, who was currently carrying a box over, and whispered, "You had a key made?" "Yeah, why are you so surprised?" she asked, as if the answer should be obvious. "Come on Aria, he had lied to us the whole time, and has an apartment full of research, not just on A but on all of us as well." I glanced down at the floor as she walked away, shaking myself from my thoughts to carry another box over to the group.

**Outside POV:**

It was late at night, around midnight, as the group of six continued to drift through Ezra's information. As their eyes began to grow heavy, Hanna, Emily, and Alison said their goodnights and headed to Hanna's house, where the three of them would be staying for the time being. Spencer, Ezra, and Aria continued to sort through the piles surrounding them, attempting to fight the pull of sleep. A couple hours later, Aria had drifted off, slumping against the back of the couch as sleep claimed her. Spencer still slaved away, but Ezra's eyelids had started drooping. "Hey," he yawned at Spencer, "I'm gonna go to sleep, but you can continue working for as long as you like." "Hm? Okay, I think I'm going to stay here for a little while longer." Ezra grabbed a t-shirt and sweatpants, walking into the bathroom to change and brush his teeth, emerging a few minutes later. As he looked over at Aria, a small smile formed across his lips. He stood up and walked over to her, bending down to pick her up bridal style and carry her over to his bed. Spencer glanced up at them, curiously watching as Ezra gently laid her down, taking off her shoes and rings, and tucked her in. He began to walk away, but Aria stirred, grabbing his hand in hers and mumbling, "Ez, where are you going?" "Shh, go back to sleep, I'll be right over on the couch." "No, stay here with me…" she slurred, clearly not fully awake. "Shh shh shh," Ezra started to shush her, but she continued. "No, you can sleep here with me," Aria said more firmly, tightening her grip on his hand. "Aria…" "Come on," she said, pulling him closer to the bed. Sighing, Ezra carefully climbed into the bed, making sure to put a suitable amount of distance between them. He caught Spencer staring, a smirk on her face, but she quickly looked away, pretending to be intrigued with the information in her hands. Ezra turned around to face Aria, and she moved over to snuggle into his chest. Smiling, Ezra reached his arms around her, cuddling her in tight, as she tilted her head up to look at him. "I love you Aria," he whispered, before leaning down slightly to give her a kiss, slow and sweet. As they pulled away, Aria whispered back, "I love you too," before laying her head over his heart, moving one hand over to rest over his wound. He heard her breathing become steady as she fell asleep, and allowed himself to be pulled into the darkness, a smile still etched on his face as he buried his lips in her hair.


	18. Chapter 18

**~Okay firstly I am going to answer a Guest's question: "Why don't you update? You told me when I followed you that you update AT LEAST once a day and you don't..." Well you see, I have SCHOOL. Last week I had AP exams, and this week I have finals, so I'm **_**just a little bit**_** stressed out and preoccupied. And I never said I would update at least once a day, I said that's what I HAD BEEN DOING at that time, but that I WOULDN'T BE updating as often because of school. Also, thank you for making my 100****th**** review a negative one, which is very much appreciated. Now for those of you who leave nice comments, thank you (: here you go.~**

**Aria POV:**

I awoke before the sun had risen, blinking sleep from my eyes as I looked outside to see a bird chirping on the windowsill. Sighing, I rested my head back on my pillow, trying to fall back into my slumber, but to no avail. I couldn't get the images of the shooting, the hospital, overall the blood, out of my head, it was stuck on repeat, flashing through my mind's eye. I shuddered slightly as I remembered _that night, _trying to apply enough pressure on Ezra's wound to stop the bleeding. I could still feel his warm, sticky blood gushing out of his wound, staining my hands red. I remember washing my hands at the hospital, the blood caked to my palms before soaking in the water, turning the white sink into a scene from a murder film. I had to scrape the blood from underneath my fingernails, and I can still smell the metallic smell of the blood, his blood, my hands stained red… _STOP IT!_ I mentally screamed at myself, _Don't think about that! He is here with you, he is safe… but he isn't really safe, not with A on the loose… NO. _I continued to fight a war with my mind, eventually letting out a short sigh of frustration, accepting the fact that I wouldn't be getting back to sleep. I glanced past Ezra to look at the clock, it was only 5:27am. I decided to go read for a few hours, then maybe I would make breakfast. I quietly sat up, carefully moving Ezra's arm from around my waist, placing it as gently as I could on the bed. I saw his eyelids flutter, and he stirred slightly, his fingers splaying out against the covers, his hand moving to find something. _Me, _I realized, _he's looking for me. _I felt a smile play across my lips, and I leaned down to give him a quick kiss on his forehead before turning around to get off the bed. Before I could, however, I felt his arms snake around my waist, pulling me back down, slightly on top him, luckily on his right side and away from his wound. He moved his lips next to my ear, and whispered lovingly, "Where are you going?" I giggled as he nibbled my ear, sending sparks down my spine. "I-I couldn't s-sleep," I managed to reply between giggles, as he moved his lips from my ear to my neck. "I was going to go read a book…" I was cut off as I felt him gently sucking on my neck, his arms fully wrapping around my stomach. I closed my eyes as I felt him sigh into my neck, pulling away to ask, "Were you having a nightmare?" "Yeah, I think I was, I was awoken by a stupid bird chirping but I kept replaying that night… I couldn't get it out of my head." "Do you want to talk about it?" I nodded slightly, shifting my body so I was lying next to him instead of partially on top of him. "I just can't forget all of the blood, I keep seeing my hands stained red as I tried to put pressure on your wound, waiting for the ambulance to come. But it wasn't enough, the blood kept flowing, and I was afraid… I thought I was going to lose you," I whispered, my voice cracking at the end. I glanced up at him, meeting his eyes as he leaned in and kissed my nose. "I'm right here with you, and I'm not going anywhere." "I know," I whispered, before pressing my lips to his, wrapping my arms around his neck. When we pulled away, he moved his lips below my ear, hovering just above my neck. "Well since we're both up," he breathed, "let's make good use of it." I didn't have time to respond before he hopped off the bed, scooping me up bridal style and walking into the kitchen. "Ezra what are you-" He silenced me with a kiss, leaning down to smother my lips. "Ezra…" I scolded, as we entered the kitchen. He set me down on my feet, opening his cupboards and pulling out a cardboard box. I looked at it curiously, seeing it read _Key Lime Pie. _I smiled up at him as he said, "I remember you telling me once that your favorite food was key lime pie… so I picked this up at the store… would you like to make it?" "I would love to," I said, walking closer to him, tilting my head up so my lips were centimeters from his chin. He leaned down for a kiss, but I decided to tease him, ducking away and grabbing the box behind him, making my way towards the other end of the kitchen. "Well come on then," I told him, looking back to see him still standing there, staring at me. We got out a bowl, spatula, wire whisk, and all the ingredients, following the directions on the back of the box. Once we finished mixing the filling, we carefully poured it into the graham cracker crust, him standing behind me, reaching around my waist to clasp over my hands. We put it into the oven for about 10 minutes, pulling it out and putting it into the refrigerator to chill. "Ah, we can finally use that lime of yours!" I joked, poking his chest. "You know, the one that was growing hair in your fridge?" "Haha very funny," he laughed, pulling me closer to him, bending down so I could reach his lips. I moved my hand behind me, reaching my fingers into the bowl, getting the sticky filling on them. As I kissed him slowly, I snuck my hand so it hovered next to our lips, pulling away quickly to smear it over his lips. "Hey!" he mumbled against the filling, attempting to seem wounded but his smile giving him away. "Yes?" I asked as innocently as I could, grinning up at him. He quickly reached behind me, grabbing some of the filling on his fingers and smearing it over my lips. I opened my mouth in shock as he stood there laughing, "Guess we're even now!" "Oh, it's on!" We proceeded to have a small battle, each of us smearing the remaining filling over each other's faces, from our foreheads to our chins. Using the last of the filling, he smeared his fingers across the side of my neck, as we laughed at ourselves. "You've got a little…" he mumbled, pinning me against the counter. "Oh, do I?" I teased, leaning into his chest. "I think you have more than me-" He cut me off by moving his hands up my sides, lifting me onto the counter behind me so that our faces were even. I grinned, recalling this moment from our past, as I wrapped my legs around his waist, my hands drifting over his neck. I felt his fingers on my waist, inching down to my legs, his palms flat against my thighs, as he moved his hands down to my knees, pulling us as close as possible, our chests against each other as he moved his face up to lick my forehead, cleaning it of the pie filling. He slowly licked down my face, cleaning away every inch of my skin as I closed my eyes, allowing my fingers to play with his hair. As he met my lips, I licked away the filling covering them, kissing him passionately as I felt his tongue licking my lips, proceeding into my mouth. His hands moved back up my legs, resting on my lower hips before continuing their way up my body to the small of my back, moving from the top of my back down to my hips and back again, sending tingles throughout me as his hands moved up and down my body. As I pulled away to lick the rest of his face clean, he breathed, "We should make pie more often!" I laughed, moving my hands from his hair down his back, resting on the lower part of it, my fingers brushing below his shirt against his skin. He moved his lips down my chin to the last bit of filling on my neck, slowly licking it away, then trailing kisses back up to my lips as we began to kiss again, losing ourselves in each other's presence. A couple hours later, we had moved to the couch, where we were cuddling, watching one of our favorite movies. His fingers were lazily drawing patterns on my bicep, as mine were doing the same on his chest. "Hey, look, the sun's coming up!" he whispered into my ear, motioning to the windows. "I love watching the sunrise," I stated, standing up and walking over to the windows. He followed, standing behind me as his chin rested on my shoulder, his hands wrapped around my waist. "Especially when I'm with you," I finished, leaning back into him. "I love you," he whispered into my neck, his breath warm against my skin. "I love you too," I breathed, moving my hands down to clasp in his. We spent the morning watching black and white movies together, cuddling just like old times, before my phone rang, Spencer calling to ask when they should all come over. "I left pretty late last night, well rather pretty early this morning, but there is still so much to go over," she said through the phone. "Um, how about you come over around five, we can all eat dinner together, does that sound good?" "Sure, I'll see you then! Oh and Aria?" "Yes?" "I expect not to walk in on you and Ezra-" "Okay, see you at five, bye!" I cut her off, hanging up before I heard her snide remark. Ezra raised his eyebrows at me, but I simply responded with, "They are coming over at five." The two of us went out to get Chinese take-out around 4:30, returning to find that the four girls had beaten us back. We sorted through the information, breaking early to eat the food around 6:30, all of us gathered around the television. This time though, it was the four girls on the couch while Ezra and I sat on the ground, me sitting on his lap, his arms wrapped around my torso. Throughout the movie, we would feed each other Chinese food, stealing little kisses in between. I knew the girls were all staring at us, but at this point I didn't care… scratch that, I was actually glad Alison saw us, glad I could show her she couldn't take Ezra away from me.

**Outside POV:**

The group was clustered in front of the television, the four girls on the couch while Aria and Ezra were living in their own little bubble, situated on the ground in front of the couch. Once they were on their second movie, Aria stood up and went into the kitchen, bringing out the pie she and Ezra had made earlier, garnishing it with a lime slice and whipped cream before cutting it into five equal slices, bringing them out on plates, her and Ezra sharing the last piece. As she settled back onto Ezra's lap, he picked up a piece of their pie with his fingers and brought it to Aria's mouth, feeding it to her as he kissed her cheek gently. She returned the favor, picking up a piece and bringing it to his mouth. "You have something…" Ezra mumbled. "Oh, wow not again," Aria laughed, moving her hand to wipe her lips, but Ezra cut her off by leaning in so his lips blocked her hand, licking it off instead. This lead to a kiss, which began to lead into a makeout session as it got heated, Ezra moving his tongue into her mouth as their hands roamed each other's bodies. Suddenly Hanna picked up a pillow, throwing it at the couple as the other girls laughed. "Okay lovebirds, how about we focus on the movie, hm? You can do whatever you want when you're alone, but please, let's not make me lose my appetite, this pie looked delicious before you two were licking it off each other!" Hanna teased, laughing as she scolded the couple, who were giggling as they shared a look. _Oh if only she knew what occurred while we were making the pie… _Aria leaned in to give Ezra another kiss, much to the disdain of Hanna. Once they pulled away, she turned back around so she was resting on Ezra, and he wrapped his hands back around her waist, settling over her stomach. He moved his head to rest on top of hers, turning his attention to the television as Hanna muttered to Spencer, "Finally, maybe I can enjoy this pie now," who in turned chucked quietly, playfully shoving Hanna. Meanwhile, Alison was stiffly sitting on the other end of the couch, her face blank of emotion. Emily gently leaned next to her, and Alison moved so her arm was resting next to Emily's, their pinkies touching. Emily smiled softly, shifting her weight so she was resting against Alison, who relaxed, moving her hand to grasp Emily's.

**~Hey, so I was wondering, how many of y'all would like me to incorporate some Spoby, and characters like Travis, Caleb, and Paige? I think I'm going to incorporate Mona, Lucas, Noel, etc. as well (if y'all want, just let me know!)~ **


	19. Chapter 19

**~Hey guys, so I'm gonna be on vacation for a week, and probably won't be updating while I'm gone. Sorry for the inconvenience, but I'll make sure to update when I get back! As always, reviews are greatly appreciated, and please enjoy this chapter :) ~**

**Spencer POV: **

I groggily opened my eyes, momentarily confused as to where I was, before I realized we had all fallen asleep during the movie. I glanced over at Emily, who seemed to have shifted away from Alison as they fell asleep… I wasn't sure how I felt about the two of them, I know Emily used to have a crush on Alison, but I also know that Alison had used her before, and I don't want her to get hurt again. Ezra and Aria were still on the floor, Ezra lying flat on the floor, facing upwards, while Aria was lying face down on top of him, her lips resting on his. His arms were wrapped around her, while hers were still tangled in his hair. I smiled slightly before realizing the space next to me was empty, Hanna nowhere to be found. Quietly, I stood up and looked for her phone, which was also missing, and I glanced over at the door to find it propped open by her bag. Curiously, I let myself out of his apartment, grabbing my key and closing the door behind me, shouldering her purse as I made my way towards the stairs. I reached the bottom of the apartment, and still no Hanna… _Where did she go? It couldn't have been A right, I mean they wouldn't leave the door propped open… right?_ Checking my watch, I saw it was only 1:14am, and I stifled a yawn before cautiously walking outside, relieved to find Hanna sitting on the steps. Quickly though, that relief morphed into worry, as I realized her head was bent, her body shaking as she sobbed into her hands, her phone sitting next to her, facing up, depicting an image of her and Caleb. I walked over to her, sitting down beside her and wrapping my arms around her, stroking her hair as I whispered, "Shh, shh, it's okay, it's okay," repeatedly, until she stopped crying, shifting so she could rest her head on my shoulder. "H-h-he keeps c-calling m-me, but I'm afraid t-to answer," she hiccupped, her voice raw from crying. "I c-can't hear his voice, o-or I won't ever be able t-to let him go." Her body started shaking again as fresh tears began to stream down her cheeks, and I hugged her tight, letting her cry on my shoulder, soothing her all the while. A little bit later, we stood up to go back inside, quietly letting ourselves back in Ezra's apartment, lying back down on the couch and falling back asleep.

**Ezra POV:**

As I began to wake, I felt a weight on my chest, and smelled the scent of Aria's shampoo, slowly becoming aware to her lips on mine, her hands in my hair as mine were still wrapped around her back. I lie there with my eyes closed for a few minutes, lightly stroking Aria's back as she slept, content to feel her lips on mine. Eventually she began to stir, and I lightly kissed her, moving one hand up so it held the back of her head. She kissed me back, and for a time we forgot where we were, who we were with, and were oblivious to the passage of time. When we broke for air, she rested her forehead on mine, and I gently rolled us over so we were facing each other, careful not to roll onto my wound. She brought her lips back up to mine, and we lost ourselves in our own little world, suspended in time. We broke again, and she moved her head to lie inches from mine as we tangled our fingers together, closing her eyes as I moved my nose next to hers so our lips were brushing. I lost track of time, but a while later I heard someone get up off the couch, followed by another pair of feet, and soon two more people followed, standing in a huddle as they whispered. _They think we're asleep, _I thought to myself, _maybe we should just let them think that, maybe they'll go and leave us be…. _I was cut off from my fantasy as one of them walked over and gently shook Aria, who in response grabbed my hand tighter, but continued pretending to be asleep. Unfortunately, the girl, who by this point I figured out was Spencer, continued gently rocking Aria, before she sighed against my lips, rolling over to face Spencer. "Yes?" she mumbled, sitting up, as I sat up next to her. "Oh good, you're both awake," Spencer relied, before saying, "We were all going to go to the Brew to get something to eat, would you guys like to come?" "Sure, I'll come," Aria responded as she stood up, pulling me with her. "Would you like to come?" she asked me, still keeping my hands clasped in hers. "Um… sure," I replied, "Let me just get changed first." I walked over to my dresser, picking out a clean pair of pants and a clean shirt, before walking into my bathroom to change. I reemerged to find the girls brushing their hair and applying mascara, grabbing their bags and walking outside when they saw I was ready. Aria hung back to wait for me, and we grasped hands as we walked out to the parking lot, bringing a smile to both our faces.

**Hanna POV:**

We all made our way outside, planning to walk over to the Brew for breakfast, Aria and Ezra holding hands behind everyone as Spencer, Emily, Alison, and I walked in a row next to each other. We moved onto the sidewalk, shifting so I was next to Spencer while Emily and Alison walked next to each other, the two lovebirds still trailing behind. Suddenly I stopped dead in my tracks, not believing my eyes, gaping at who was farther down the sidewalk. _No, it's not him… yes it is! _"Caleb?" I whispered, staring straight ahead. He started walking towards us, and I realized yes, it really is him… Before I knew what I was doing I was running towards him, jumping into his arms as he enveloped me in a bear hug. "Caleb!" I cried, as he picked me slightly off the ground, twirling me around as he said, "Hanna." He set me back down on the pavement, moving his lips to meet mine, wrapping his arms around me as I wrapped mine around his neck. I pulled away enough so I could look at him, laughing as I said, "You cut your hair!" He chuckled a bit before asking, a hint of sadness in his voice, "Why didn't you pick up?" I looked down at the sidewalk, sighing before I felt his fingers under my chin, tilting my face back up to his. "I didn't want to miss you anymore than I already do… well did," I whispered. Suddenly I felt someone tapping me on my back, and I turned slightly to look at them, greeted with Spencer's smile, the other girls grinning in the background. "Caleb," she asked, "would you like to come to the Brew with us?" "I would love to," he responded, reaching down to grasp my hand in his. We started walking towards the Brew, as I leaned over to say, "We have a lot to talk about… you kind of missed a lot." "Hm, like what?" "Well for one, Ezra got shot-" "Wait what?!" he exclaimed, spinning around, earning a glance from everyone. "Yeah, we can catch up over breakfast," I said somberly. The seven of us made our way towards the Brew, walking inside to find Toby seated in the back, waiting for us. We situated ourselves on the couch, Aria on Ezra's lap and me on Caleb's as Spencer, Toby, Alison, and Emily sat next to us, Spencer and Toby's hands clasped together as Alison and Emily sat awkwardly amongst us. "Well," I said, breaking the silence. "Where should we begin?"


	20. Chapter 20

**~I'm back from vacation now so I'll be updating more often, sorry for the long wait! Please keep reviewing guys, they are really appreciated :) Hope you like this chapter!~**

**Caleb POV:**

"How the hell are you alive?" I asked the blond girl sitting next to Emily, assuming her to be Alison. She awkwardly looked back at me, glancing around the room at the other girls before sitting up straight and looking me in the eyes. "I had run away from Rosewood to escape A, and have been on the run ever since. The girls found me a few nights ago, but A had followed us. He… or she… had a gun, and if Ezra hadn't stepped in, one… or all… of us might very well be dead." I gaped at the girl, stunned from her revelations. I glanced at Hanna, whispering, "Is that true?" I could see from the moment her eyes met mine that it was, from the masked sadness behind her eyes, threatening to spill tears. "Yes," she said back so softly it was barely audible. "And you haven't told anyone about this?" I addressed the group. "No, um actually we told our parents." Spencer spoke up. "Well, we told them the basics, we didn't delve into all the details about A… they kind of interrogated us after it happened. Ezra has been helping us look for the A on the roof, and he thinks he might know their identity." I turned to Ezra then, who said, "I'm pretty sure the A on the roof was either Jason or Wren, but I don't know who the lead A is." I felt my face redden at the mention of Wren, remembering his interest in Hanna. "You mean Doctor Wren, as in the Wren who was interested in both Hanna and Spencer?" I asked, my voice clearly unhappy. "Yes," Emily said, her voice steady. "Yes, either Wren or Jason, but we aren't completely sure." I gently wrapped my arms around Hanna's waist as they began discussing their research on A, and I glanced over at Toby, who was sitting across from me, his face also displaying signs of anger. He met my gaze, and we shared a look, _How the hell did we miss all of this? _

**Aria POV:**

An hour later, the eight of us exited the café to be greeted by snowflakes, spiraling down from the grey sky. I couldn't help but smile, I love snow, and spread my arms wide and spun in a slow circle, catching the snowflakes on my fingers. I could hear the others laughing, but I saw out of the corner of my eyes that they were doing the same thing, all of us momentarily entranced by the snow. I felt hands wrap around my waist, and Ezra rested his chin on my shoulder as he moved his arms up to mirror mine, intertwining our fingers as we continued to spin in slow circles, my palms face up as the snow began to stick to me. After a few more rotations, we stilled, glancing around at the others, who were also enjoying the snow. Caleb had his arms wrapped around Hanna, and she rested her head on his chest, their eyes closed; Spencer and Toby were kissing; Alison and Emily were throwing the snow from the sidewalk at each other, attempting to make snowballs out of the dusting. I turned around to face Ezra, his blue eyes twinkling against the snowflakes on his face, a smile plastered on his face, his hair speckled with white. I ran my fingers up his cheek, shifting his gaze down to me as he wrapped his arms back around my waist, pulling me close as I stood on my tiptoes to brush my lips against his before he leaned down to kiss me. Our lips were cold from the air, sending chills up my back as they touched. My thumbs brushed across his bristle, his fingers finding their way under my coat, cold as they brushed over my warm skin. I opened my mouth as his tongue found its way to mine, our lips quickly warming to each other's touch. I tilted my head slightly, our noses brushing as our lips met again, our tongues brushing, his fingers tracing my hips as I moved mine into his hair. He pulled away, resting his forehead on mine, his breath warming my neck as he exhaled. We stood there in the cold, the eight of us caught in time, the snow allowing us to forget our worries, magical as it drifted from the grey sky above onto our skin, melting on contact. I slowly opened my eyes, snowflakes falling from my lashes as I turned my head to watch Hanna and Caleb walking away down the street in the direction of her house. Spencer and Toby had walked the other direction, and Alison and Emily had retired from their snowball fight to lie on the ground next to each other, laughing at the other one, both covered head to toe in snow. I turned back to Ezra as he opened his eyes, smiling at him as we shared this precious moment. "Come on," he whispered, "Let's take a walk in the snow." I grinned back at him as we untangled ourselves, our hands meeting simultaneously, our fingers curling together as we walked in the direction of his apartment.

~❈❈※ ※❈❈~

We walked up the steps to his apartment, our hands still entwined, our faces flushed from the chill of the winter wind, our hair sparkling white with snowflakes. He stuck his key in the lock, his fingers fumbling as he opened the door, the warmth of his apartment washing over us, causing both of us to sigh from the sudden heat. We laughed as we stepped inside, collapsing on the couch as our bodies began to warm. "Do you want to watch a movie?" he asked, standing up and walking over to his collection of CD's. "Sure," I replied, "Surprise me." He walked back over to the TV, inserting a disc before walking back over to the couch, sitting down on one end as I adjusted myself so my head was resting on his lap, my legs stretching the length of the couch. I tilted my head to face up as I realized which movie he had pick, smiling as I asked, "It Happened One Night?" He responded by leaning down to press his lips against mine in a delicate kiss, lingering before pulling back up, the corner of his lips turned up in a smile. I turned back to the TV, my eyes growing heavy as the movie progressed. Eventually, I must have drifted off to sleep, because I awoke a while later to the TV turned off, and Ezra fast asleep, his arms resting across my stomach as his head rested against the couch, his eyes moving behind their lids as he dreamed. I tilted my head back so I could glance out the window, delighted to see that the snow had begun to cover the ground in a white blanket, the flakes falling more consistently than before. I sat up slowly, bringing my lips to Ezra's as he began to wake. "I wish I could always wake up to this," he mumbled before bringing his lips back to mine, wrapping his hands around the back of my neck, drawing me closer as he deepened the kiss. I felt my eyes fluttering as our tongues met, my hands wrapping around his waist, my fingers brushing over his exposed skin. I felt him moan slightly into my mouth as I trailed my fingers up the front of his body, tracing up his skin, sending tingles extending from my fingers throughout my body. His hand traveled down my side to my thigh, moving me leg slightly so I was straddling him, then traveling up to my waist to pull me closer to him. My fingers had reached the front of his neck by now, and I caressed his skin before sliding them over sides of his neck so they were resting on the back of his neck, my arms resting against his spine underneath his shirt. I felt his other hand trace my spine down to my hip, both of his hands brushing against my skin as he moved them up my back under my shirt. He shifted himself forward slightly, allowing me to wrap my legs completely around his waist as his fingers traced up and down my spine, warm against my skin. He tilted his head, our noses resting against each other as we breathed, our hearts beating in the same rhythm. His lips met mine once again, and we were lost in each other, smiling as our lips met, breathing in our mixed scents, our exhales warming our necks. I'm not sure how much later it was, but finally we broke apart, our foreheads resting against each other, our eyes still closed as we breathed each other in. "There's snow," I whispered. "Hm?" "Snow, Ezra, there's snow covering the ground!" I said excitedly, opening my eyes and pulling back so I could look at him. He opened his eyes to meet mine as he asked, "How much?" I jumped off him, hurrying over to the window as he followed behind me. The ground was completely covered in a thick, white blanket, everything sparkling against the grey sky, snow still falling. "Oh wow," I heard him breathe, his voice filled with awe. "Let's go outside!" I exclaimed, walking over to retrieve my jacket, pulling it on as I moved over to grab my boots. "Aria…" he sighed. "Come on, please?" I begged, walking over to him with his boots and jacket. He glanced back out the window as I put his things on the couch, stating, "Well, I'm going outside," walking over to the door, turning to see him sighing as he pulled on his boots and jacket. "Fine, fine, fine, I'm coming, just no throwing snow down my coat." "We'll see," I smirked, opening the door as we walked into the hallway. We shuffled down the stairs, opening the building door to be greeted with a gust of cold wind, filled with snowflakes that pricked against our skin. Ezra chuckled as I ran out into the snow, turning my face up as I watched the flakes dance down to meet me. We heard music in the distance, and he walked over to me, a smile on his face as he asked, "May I have this dance?" I giggled before nodding, grasping his hand as he pulled me close to him, the two of us dancing to the music. He spun me around, pulling me close again as the music ended, our faces not an inch apart. I leaned up to peck him on the lips before scurrying out of his grasp, grabbing a handful of snow to throw at him. "Hey!" he yelped, picking up some snow to throw back at me. I laughed as the powder descended on me in a cloud of white, covering my hair in snow. We both laughed as we ran around, collecting snow into balls to throw at each other, making attempts to avoid the other's onslaught. Suddenly I felt myself sinking, and I glanced down to realize I was stuck in a snow drift, covered up to my knees. Ezra rounded the corner to see me struggling to be released, laughing as he realized I was stuck. He ran up to me, graciously scattering snow above my head in an arc, falling to his knees as he continued to laugh, pulling out his phone to take a picture. "Ezra!" I exclaimed, unable to contain my laughter. He stood back up, reaching down to grasp my hands, still chuckling as he pulled me out of the snow. Suddenly he bend down and scooped me up bridal style, carrying me under a thicket of evergreens so we were sheltered from the snow. He set me down against the trunk, laughing as I attempted to brush the snow off my jeans. I heard my teeth chattering, and stuffed my hands into my pockets as he mocked me, "Hm, maybe next time you should watch your step." I punched his arm, earning a gasp as he said, "Hey, that hurt!" "I don't care!" I giggled, as he pulled me closer to him, moving his hands into my pockets so he could grasp my hands. I smiled up at him, leaning into his chest as I tilted my chin up, gazing into his eyes. "I love you," he whispered, our lips almost touching now, and I replied, "I love you too," before brushing my lips to his, opening my mouth as we became consumed by the kiss.

**Spencer POV:**

Toby, Hanna, Caleb, Alison, Emily, and I were making our way towards Ezra's apartment, having just met up down the block, deciding we needed to properly catch Toby and Caleb up on our research. I glanced over at Alison and Emily, who were talking softly and giggling, then over at Hanna and Caleb, who were holding hands as they walked behind us. Toby's hand was grasped in mine, and we walked in front of the others, leading the way through the snow. There was already a foot on the ground, the snowflakes swirling violently around us, the world seeming to resemble a blizzard as we squinted our eyes against the blinding white, heading in what we hoped was the correct direction. Eventually we came to the cluster of fir trees that were off to the side of Ezra's apartment. We hurried underneath them, relieved to be sheltered from the howling wind. Suddenly Hanna came up to me, signaling to be quiet as she motioned to our left, where Ezra and Aria were making out against a tree, clearly oblivious to the scrutiny they were under. I motioned for Alison and Emily to come over, placing a finger across my lips to tell them to be quiet. They stifled a giggle as Hanna began passing around snowballs until everyone had one, and the six of us quietly made our way closer to the couple. When we were a few feet from them, I held up my left hand, signaling three, two, one, and then closed my hand into a fist, all of us hurling our snowballs at the couple. We burst out laughing as they yelped, breaking apart quickly to glare at us. "Y-you should s-see your faces!" Hanna stuttered, doubling over, holding her waist as she continued to laugh. Ezra and Aria flushed bright red, his hands still wrapped around her back, under her coat, as her fingers were still tangled in his hair. I coughed slightly, and they quickly detached themselves, obviously embarrassed to have been caught. Emily stepped in, saying, "Why don't we all go inside?" Ezra gave her a grateful look, before he and Aria awkwardly turned and made their way back inside, their hands clasped together. I felt Toby's hands snake around my waist, pulling me back against him as he lightly kissed my neck. I sighed, allowing myself to close my eyes for a minute, before we heard Aria call, "You two coming, or should we start throwing snowballs?" We chuckled before walking towards the building. Toby's hand brushed against mine, and I moved my fingers to intertwine with his, smiling as we made our way to the group.


	21. Chapter 21

**~I've decided to try a new format when I write these chapters, please tell me if you like this better! As always thank you so much for the reviews!~**

**Outside POV:**

Once inside Ezra's apartment, the group dispersed as Aria and Ezra brought out the material. They placed the various boxes on the table in front of the couch, moving to sit on the floor next to it. Spencer and Toby sat at the other end of the table, Hanna and Caleb on the side near the couch, Emily and Alison across from them.

"Before we begin," Spencer started, "I think we should catch Caleb and Toby up on everything." The girls exchanged looks before Aria asked softly, "Everything?" "Yes, everything," Spencer said, sharing a look with her. "They need to know."

"What do you mean-" Caleb started, before Ezra cut him off. "They mean about me." Toby and Caleb shared a confused look, before Toby spoke up, "What about you? We know about you and Ar-" "I knew Alison, we met when I was in college. I also knew who the girls were before I met them, and-" "Wait, you _knew Alison?" _Toby asked incredulously. "Yes I-" "And you just led everybody on, the whole time? Did you know she was alive?" Toby continued, his voice rising. "Yes, but if you would please just let me explain-" Ezra said, raising his hands in surrender. "Explain what, how you lied, when you could have been helping them? Caleb said, standing up. "Listen, please just let me explain-" "You could have protected them from A!" Caleb yelled.

"Would you just calm down?" Aria yelled, standing up to face Caleb, effectively silencing the room. Caleb sat back down as Aria said, softer this time, "Just let him speak, okay?" After an affirmative nod from both Toby and Caleb, she sat back down, resting her hand on Ezra's as he began to tell his tale.

"When I was in college, she approached me at a bar one night, she wanted to get to know me," Ezra began, shooting a look at Alison. "She lied about her age, so I thought she was in college. We went on a few dates before I figured out she had lied, and I broke it off there. A few days later I heard that she had gone missing, and I decided to write a book about her… a true crime book. I…" he cleared his throat, squeezing Aria's hand gently before continuing. "I did some research and found who her friends were… I was going to befriend one in order to get information. So when I saw Aria in the bar, I took the opportunity. But I hadn't planned on…" Aria rubbed her thumb over his hand, and Ezra took a deep breath before continuing. "I didn't know I was going to fall in love with her," he said softly, his eyes downcast. "When things started getting serious between the two of us, I stopped writing the book. But later, when we broke up, I started researching again, but this time I was also looking for A. I figured out that Alison was alive, and that's how I found A… or one of the A team. Spencer figured out that I had been lying, and soon she told the other girls. They avoided me after that, and I went to New York, following a lead on A. I followed him to a café roof, where he had been chasing the girls, but I didn't know that at the time. He threatened them with a gun, and I stepped in when he pointed it at the girls, that's how I got shot. A escaped after that, and I was taken to the hospital," Ezra finished, raising his gaze to meet Toby's and Caleb's.

"Wow," Caleb stated, glancing warily at Alison. "That's one way to put it," Toby replied, shooting a suspicious glance Ezra's way. "Well," Caleb said, reaching for a box, "Let's get started."

~❈❈※ ※❈❈~

A few hours later, around 11:00, Emily stood up, yawning, as she declared, "I think we've done enough for tonight, we should probably get home before too much snow has fallen." "Yeah," Spencer said, standing up next to Emily, "We should all probably get home." The rest of them stood up, Alison walking over to Emily as she asked, "Can I stay at your place Em?" "Sure," Emily smiled, blushing slightly. "Okay," Hanna interrupted, noticing Emily, "Let's go, goodnight Ezra." Caleb walked Hanna out, Toby and Spencer following, finally Alison and Emily leaving after saying their goodnights.

Ezra glanced over at Aria as she put her coat on, walking over so he could hand her boots to her. "Well… goodnight," he said as he handed them to her, meeting her gaze. "Yeah… goodnight…" she said back softly, sitting down to lace up her boots. "I mean… unless… never mind…" Ezra stuttered, turning to walk back to the couch. "Unless what?" "I just… unless you wanted to… stay?" he mumbled, his eyes downcast. Smiling slightly, Aria said, "I would love to." "Y-you would?" She shook off her boots and coat, walking over to sit next to him on the couch before saying, "But can we watch a movie first?"

**Emily POV: **

Alison and I walked to my house in the snow, admiring the sparkling white blanket, shimmering against the night sky. The weather had finally cleared up, revealing the stars and moon, giving Rosewood the impression of a cute little town. We hurried inside once we reached my house, grateful for the warmth, stomping off our boots before removing them and our jackets. I glanced over at Alison as she shrugged hers off, shaking her hair when she took off her hat… _Emily, no, stop it, _I thought to myself, _you can't think that way. But, _a little voice argued, _you've seen her look at you the same way. _Shaking myself from my thoughts, we made our way upstairs to my room.

Alison looked around before saying, "Nothing's changed, it's the same as I remember it." "Well," I responded, "Some things have changed, it just may not look like it." She gave me a look before asking, "Where will I be sleeping?" "Um…" I said slowly, "In here if you want…" Suddenly, the doorbell rang, and I gave her a confused glance before saying, "I'm going to go see who that is, stay here, nobody can see you." I rushed downstairs, confused as to who would be here at this time at night, in the snow no less, taking a deep breath before opening the door.

"Hey," Paige said, her cheeks pink from the cold air. "Hey," I replied, stepping outside and closing the door behind me. "You never called back," she said, her eyes downcast. "Yeah, I've been pretty busy," I responded tersely. "Oh… is there anything I can do?" "You've already done enough," I said as she raised her eyes to mine. "Emily…" "Can we talk some other time please?" "Sure… um… just, please call me," she stated awkwardly, "Goodnight." I watched her walk away, turning around to go back in my house. Once inside, I leaned back against the door, a single tear streaming down my face, as I collected myself. Taking a deep breath, I wiped the tear away and walked back up to my room.

"Who was it?" Alison asked as she saw me walk back in. "It was… Paige." "Oh. Are you okay?" "Yeah, I'm fine," I whispered, walking over to my dresser to pull out two T-shirts and two pairs of shorts, giving one pair to Alison, then walking into the bathroom to change and brush my teeth. Once I finished, Alison walked in the bathroom, and I settled myself in my bed. A few minutes later she emerged, and stood undecidedly near the foot of my bed. "Um... would you mind if I…" I smiled before scooting over to one side of the bed, saying, "No problem." She gave me a grateful smile, crawling under the covers, falling asleep within minutes.

**Aria POV: **

After we finished the movie, Ezra walked over to grab me a T-shirt and pajama pants for me to wear for the night. I smiled thank you before walking into the bathroom to change, reemerging to find him in his pajamas, reading a book on the couch, where he had dragged a pillow and blanket. "Ezra, what are you doing?" "Hm?" he asked, looking up from his book. "I just thought…" I walked over, pulling the blanket from over him and grabbing the pillow that was beside him, walking back over to his bed to place them down. "Aria…" "Come on," I interrupted. Smiling slightly, he placed his book on the table and walked over to me as I crawled under the covers. After standing for a minute beside the bed, he crawled in next to me, wrapping his arms around me as I curled up next to him. "I love you," he whispered against my lips, brushing them slightly. "I love you too," I whispered, moving forward slightly so I could catch his lips with mine.

I moved my arms behind his neck, tangling my fingers in his hair as he pulled me tighter against him. I deepened the kiss, sliding my tongue into his mouth, becoming lost in the kiss. He moved his feet next to mine under the blankets, brushing over them as our legs became entangled, his hands moving up to brush my cheeks as we pulled away. We smiled at each other before I buried my face in his chest, breathing in his familiar scent. "Goodnight," I mumbled, moving my hands down so one rested on his waist, the other curled underneath me. "Goodnight," he whispered into my hair as he buried his face in it, inhaling deeply, his exhale warming my neck.


	22. Chapter 22

**~Only Ezra and Aria this chapter, and in the next couple chapters I'm going to incorporate some of the winter holidays, but I'm going to focus on New Year's instead of Yule/Christmas/Hanukah/etc. in order to keep it religiously neutral. Thanks for all the reviews (: enjoy this chapter!~ **

**Aria POV: **

I awoke to find myself wrapped in Ezra's arms, the two of us completely covered by the blankets. I slowly pulled down the top of the blankets, exposing our heads to the cold air. _Ezra must have forgotten to turn on the heater, _I thought as I took a deep breath, the air nipping at my throat. I stifled a giggle as Ezra shifted slightly, nuzzling his head into my neck, his breath warm against my collarbone. I flexed my fingers slightly, hearing them crack as I shook the stiffness from them, then moved them back under the covers to warm them up.

"Ezra?" I whispered into his ear. He responded by nuzzling his face against my neck. Sighing, I moved my fingers underneath his shirt and began tracing his chest, eliciting a muffled moan from him. "Hm, so you _are _awake," I whispered into his ear, pulling my hands out from under his shirt and shifting back so his head was no longer buried in my neck.

"Well I am now," he mumbled before pulling me back to him so our noses were touching.

"Ezra, I think you forgot to turn on the heater."

"What? No, it's been on for a while now," he said, startled, as he sat up and caused the blankets to fall from our shoulders. "Oh wow it's really cold," he shivered as he quickly stood up and walked over to the heater. "Crap," I heard him mutter, and I walked over to him.

"Oh great," I laughed. "It's broken."

"Yeah, and just as the snow sets in," he grumbled, walking over to the window. "I won't be able to get a new one until the roads are cleared, and judging by the looks of things, that could be a couple days. Confused, I walked over to him and glanced out the window, shocked at how much snow had fallen.

"I thought it stopped snowing last night!" I exclaimed.

"Apparently it started again, that's a good three feet out there," Ezra laughed, wrapping his arms around my torso.

I leaned back against him, tilting my head up to look at him as I said, "Last one back to the bed has to make hot chocolate," before quickly detaching his arms from around me and sprinting towards the bed, jumping on top of it as I turned back around to see Ezra gaping at me. "Go on," I laughed, "The faster you make it the faster you can get warm."

"Aria!" he begged, groaning as I pointed towards the kitchen. Sighing in defeat, he made his way into the kitchen, taking out two mugs and pouring cocoa powder and sugar into them. He poured milk over the chocolate, the stuck both mugs in the microwave, leaning against the counter as he rubbed his hands together, trying to warm them. The microwave beeped, and he took the mugs out, wrapping his hands around them as he brought them over to me. Placing them on the bedside table, he hurriedly scooted underneath the blankets, breathing a sigh of contentment as his body began to warm back up. I reached my arm over him to grab a mug, but he stopped me by gently grabbing my arm and moving it back to my lap. "Ah-ah-ah, you said the last one to the bed had to make the chocolate, but you never said I had to let you have any of it," he chuckled, smirking at my expression.

"Ezra," I groaned, my head falling back against the pillows in an exasperated manner, moving my hands up to cover my eyes.

"Mm," he mumbled, "The chocolate is so creamy, and it's so warm…" I moved my hands and opened my eyes to see him taking another sip, the steam spiraling upwards. He moved the mug back onto the table as I sat up and tried to grab it, resulting with me flailing my arms in the air. He laughed again as I gave him a stormy expression, leaning his head back against the pillows as he said, "Well you could always get out of the bed, I'm sure it's not _that _cold, and I might let you back in."

Suddenly, an idea popped into my head, and I smirked at him before saying, "Or I could do this," as I moved over and sat on his lap. I reached over and took the other mug, taking a long sip of the chocolate before placing it back on the table. I saw him reach his hand out to grab his mug, but I smacked him arm, causing him to recoil. "Uh uh, I don't think so," I smirked.

"Fine, can we call a truce?" he sighed, wrapping his arms around my waist, resting them on my stomach.

"Okay," I chuckled, reaching back over to grab the mugs, handing him his before taking another sip from mine. A few minutes later I turned to face him as I asked, "Do you know what Wednesday is?"

"New Year's Eve?"

"Yeah, we should get some fireworks or something, invite everyone over so we can celebrate," I said excitedly. "There's a shop that sells fireworks not far from here, we could walk there today, if you want," I stated hopefully, taking the last sip of my chocolate. Smiling, he took my mug from my hands, placing both mine and his, both now empty, on the table, before leaning down to lick my lips.

"You had a little chocolate," he murmured against my lips as he pulled away slightly.

"Sure I did," I whispered, "Or you just really wanted to kiss me."

"Would that be so bad?" he whispered back, tickling my neck with his breath. I responded by pressing away the little distance left between us, turning so my legs extended to the left of him, reaching my arms up so my fingers could caress the back of his neck as he opened his mouth to meet mine. Things began to get heated as I turned so I was straddling him, wrapping my legs around his back. I ran my hands up his sides to his hair, tangling my fingers in it as he moved his hands from the back of my neck down to the back of my waist, then under my shirt and back up to my neck again. I slid my hands down his chest, moving them under his shirt and tracing my fingers along his spine. Eventually, we pulled away for air, and he whispered, "Well I'm not cold anymore."

I laughed as I said, "Neither am I," before moving my lips down so I could kiss along his neck. I kissed along his shoulder then back up to his chin, before kissing him on the nose. He trailed his lips down to my collarbone, where he left light kisses from my left shoulder to my right, then back up in the same manner I had done, also ending with a kiss on my nose. We rubbed noses before I tilted my head slightly to meet his lips again, rubbing my hands up and down his back. A while later we pulled away, resting our foreheads together and breathing at the same rate. "Is it just me or is it warmer?" I laughed, pulling away to look into his striking blue eyes.

He laughed before responding, "Hm, must be you."

"Hey!" I exclaimed, lightly punching his chest as he chuckled.

"We should probably pick up some candles along with those fireworks," Ezra said, "So we can have some heat tonight, it's supposed to drop even lower."

"Oh, so I'm staying over again?" I questioned playfully, raising my eyebrows in mock surprise. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but closed it again, seemingly unsure of what to say. "I'm kidding!" I laughed, leaning in to give him a chaste kiss. "We could stay at my house…" I whispered against his lips, closing my eyes as I rested my forehead to his.

"Yeah, I don't think that's the best idea Aria, your parents would kill me."

"My mom is staying at her house, my dad is leaving for a three day conference in Vermont this morning, and my brother is staying at a friend's house over the holidays. That means the house is going to be completely empty… that is unless you want to stay with me."

He leaned down to kiss my collarbone, whispering in between kisses, "I… would… love… to," then moved up to chastely kiss my nose.

"Okay, but let's go get the fireworks and candles first," I laughed. "Oh, and we should pick up some hand warmers too," I said as I got out of the bed, walking over to grab my clothes from yesterday then going into the bathroom to change from his clothes into mine. Once I reemerged he was also dressed, pulling on his boots and coat. He handed me mine, and I pulled it on and laced up my boots before grabbing one of his beanies and pulling it snugly over my ears. He chuckled slightly as he pulled one on as well, and we made our way out of his apartment into the snow.


	23. Chapter 23

**~Sorry for such a late update, I've been going through some writer's block :/ Anyways, I'm not sure how much longer I'm going to continue this story, but I won't stop it without a warning. Enjoy!~**

**Emily POV:**

I stared vacantly at my kitchen table as I mindlessly stirred my cereal around in the bowl, my spoon creating miniature whirlpools in the milk. _I miss her, _I thought. _But I'm not sure how I still feel about Alison… no, that's not true. I still like Alison, but I know she doesn't like me back… but she's been acting different lately, almost as if she likes me back… _I was snapped from my thoughts as I saw Alison walk into the kitchen, shuffling her feet slightly as she yawned.

"Em, what are you doing up so early?" she asked, sleep still clouding her voice.

"Early?" I chuckled. "It's only eight!"

She gave me a pointed look, raising her eyebrows as she exclaimed, "Only?" I smiled as she yawned again, walking over to sit next to me. "What are you eating?" she asked, pointing at my bowl.

"Frosted Flakes," I laughed, standing up and walking over to grab her a bowl. "Would you like some?"

"Sure, thanks," she smiled, watching me as I poured her a bowl, covering the flakes with milk. "Emily," she said quietly as I walked back over, sitting down after I placed the bowl in front of her. "I just wanted to say how sorry I am for the way I treated you… I can't believe what you've done for me after everything I did to you. I know I played with your emotions, and I'm truly sorry for everything that I put you through. I guess I just really want to thank you for still being here for me," she finished, her eyes downcast as she fiddled with her fingers.

Smiling slightly, I leaned over to give her a hug, closing my eyes as we embraced. "Now, eat, you look starved!" I teased once we pulled away. She smiled, dipping the spoon into the bowl and picking up some of the flakes. "And Ali, I will always be here for you." I said quietly, glancing up at her. We shared a smile before we continued eating our breakfast, the silence welcomed. _What are you doing Emily…_

**Ezra POV:**

I smiled as Aria and I walked down the sidewalk, hand in hand as we made our way towards the store, trudging through the freshly fallen snow. We stomped our boots outside before entering, gasping at the sudden warmth. I grinned as she walked towards the fireworks, a slight bounce in her step, one that I hadn't seen for quite a while. I followed, grabbing a basket on my way over towards her. She was staring indecisively at the display, her left hand resting on one brand of sparklers, her right hand resting by her side.

"Oh good, I love sparklers," I said, causing her to turn and look at me. I pointed at a row of bigger fireworks, ones that would shoot into the air. "Ooh, let's get a few of these too!" I exclaimed.

"Hm?" she mumbled, glancing over to the ones I had chosen. "Oh yeah, those will be fun! But which colors should we get?"

"Um… How about we get this one," I said, pulling out a simple red one, "And these two," I finished, pulling out a multicolored one, and a silver and gold one that would trail downwards.

"Okay, and we can get these sparklers," she said, placing a pack in our basket. "Oh, don't forget the candles!" she exclaimed, placing four in the basket. We walked over the register, Aria saying she would pay, but I insisted. "Ezra…"

"Aria, please let me do this," I said quietly, my eyes conveying what I didn't want to say aloud. _I feel bad for what I've done, please let me do this little thing. _Sighing, she receded, allowing me to pay before we walked back into the cold. It had started flurrying again, and I pulled her close against me as we made our way back to my apartment. Once inside, she placed the candles around as I set the bag containing the fireworks on the table. I walked around lighting them once she finished placing them, then we settled down on the couch as I turned on the TV. She snuggled into my side as I wrapped my arm around her, resting my chin on her head as she rested her head on my chest. I grabbed a blanket that was hanging over the couch and draped it over us, causing Aria to snuggle further into my side. I turned the channel to ABC Family, and we watched the remainder of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

When the movie ended, we stood up and stretched, Aria asking, "Want to head over to my place now?"

"Yeah, sure, let me just grab some clothes and we can head over." I hurried over to my dresser, grabbing a few shirts and pairs of jeans, some boxers and socks, and a belt before walking over and grabbing my bag and stuffing them inside. We put on our jackets, boots, and beanies, blowing out the candles and grabbing the fireworks before walking out into the hallway. A half hour later, we arrived at her house, and she unlocked the door before we made our way inside, dropping the fireworks by the door as we peeled off our layers.

"Ah, the heat feels so good!" I exclaimed, flexing my fingers. She made her way up the stairs, motioning for me to follow her. I walked up after her, following her into her room as she took my bag from me and placed it on the ground next to her bed.

"Hey, I'm gonna call the girls and tell them to come over tomorrow for New Year's Eve, okay?"

"Alright, I'm going to put in a movie, any preference?"

"Surprise me," she smiled, before I walked downstairs. I looked over her collection of black and white films, deciding on one I'd never seen before. She came down a few minutes later, laughing at my choice of film as she snuggled next to me under the blanket.

"What's so funny?" I questioned, wrapping my arms around her, pulling her closer to me as I bent my head so I could kiss her forehead.

"Nothing… it's nothing," she said, immediately becoming somber.

"Hey, now you have to tell me!"

"No, you don't want to know… you really don't."

Sighing, I moved my face so my lips hovered millimeters above hers, our noses brushing as I whispered, "Come on Aria…"

Sighing, she said, "I thought it was funny because it's the same movie Jake picked, but he fell asleep halfway through and didn't understand the symbolism… It's just ironic that you would pick it too."

"Ah," I whispered, our lips slightly brushing, her breath warm against my face.

"Yeah…" she mumbled, the air around us tense as I shuddered at the thought of Aria on another date with another guy, watching the same movie on the same couch…

"Well, I most certainly will not be falling asleep, and I definitely will understand whatever symbolism is in it," I finally said, at an attempt to clear the air.

"Well, I guess I'll be able to do this then, unlike the last time I watched it," she whispered against my lips, leaning in to give me a long, drawn out kiss. As she pulled away, she rested her forehead against mine, both our eyes still closed.

"I guess I'm glad he didn't understand the movie then," I chuckled, leaning in to recapture her lips with mine. When we finally parted, she leaned against me, her head resting on my chest as I draped my arm around her body, tracing small patterns on her bicep.

Halfway through the movie, she looked up at me, leaning in to give me a chaste kiss before saying, "I'm just really glad we're right here, right now, able to enjoy each other's company. After everything, we're still here."

I smiled, replying with, "I love you, Aria, I always have, and I always will."

"I love you too Ezra, always have, always will," she whispered, leaning back in and opening her mouth as we kissed, sparks dancing beneath our skin.


End file.
